








' 








ErtgravecL fry &imber, from ay soarce< Ditfch Fruzty. 



JAMES AiRMOWQilJS. [ 

BOB.1T AD.15SO : DIET) 1609 



[arper 8c Brothers . 



THE LIFE 



JAMES A R 1 1 N I U ' 8, D.D, 

FORMERLY PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY IN TEE UNIVERSITY 
OF LEYDEN. 



COMPILED FROM HIS LIFE AND WRITINGS, AS PUB- 
LISHED BY MR. JAMES NICHOLS, 



BY NATHAN BANGS, D.D. 



NEW-YORK: 
Harper & Brothers, 82 Cliff-st. 



1843. 

Ha. 1 1 



^k^ 
&* 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1843, by 

Harper & Brothers, 

In the Clerk's Office of the Southern District of New- York. 



>i 



PREFACE. 



The following account of James Arminius has 
been compiled from his life and writings, which 
have been collected and published by Mr. James 
Nichols, in two royal octavo volumes, of upward 
of 700 pages each, with the promise of another ; 
which has not, however, yet made its appearance. 
In these two volumes is found everything relating 
to the life, doctrines, labours, and sufferings of Ar- 
minius, which is necessary to give a full view of 
his character, and the various scenes through which 
he passed during his eventful life. Mr. Nichols, 
therefore, deserves great credit for the diligent and 
faithful manner m which he has collected and 
translated the documents relating to the life and 
times of Arminius, though the voluminousness of 
his work renders it inaccessible to the greatest 
number of those who may wish correct information 
respecting this eminent man of God. With a view, 
therefore, to remove this redundancy, I have taken 
the liberty to extract from those volumes such facts 
in relation to the birth, education, conversion, doc- 
trines, labours, and sufferings of Arminius, as I 
think will be interesting to the reader, and, at the 
same time, furnish him with a full and accurate view 
of his character, the means by which he was led 
on, step by step, to that high eminence which he 
occupied in the Christian community, and also of 
those doctrines by which he became distinguished. 



IV PREFACE. 

It is not a little astonishing that so much misap- 
prehension has prevailed respecting the sentiments 
of Arminius. He has been represented as denying 
original depravity, justification by grace through 
faith in the atoning merits of Jesus Christ, and 
other scriptural truths, insomuch that, as Mr. Wes- 
ley says, you might as well cry " mad dog" as to 
call a man an Arminian. 

Those who peruse this volume will be convinced 
that ail this is sheer misrepresentation ; that Ar- 
minius was sound on all those points which distin- 
guish Protestants from papists, and from the here- 
sies of Pelagius ; and that he has been branded 
with those errors merely because he abjured and 
denounced the Calvinistic doctrine of uncondition- 
al predestination. All this will be fully seen in his 
solemn declaration before the states of Holland, 
which I have given at length, in his own words, 
so that the reader may rightly understand, without 
any suspicions of misrepresentation, what the doc- 
trinal views of Arminius were. 

Another reason for preparing the present volume 
is, that Mr. Nichols has encumbered his volumes 
with much extraneous matter which does not prop- 
erly belong to the life of Arminius ; such as long 
accounts of other men, a history of the Synod of 
Dort, which, however instructing to the general 
reader, is not at all necessary to a full and accurate 
idea of the character and conduct of Arminius. 
Those things, therefore, are only so far alluded to 
in the present volume as was considered necessary 
to set the character and doctrines of Arminius in 
a perspicuous point of light, and to show the results 
of his labours and sufferings upon the community. 



PREFACE. V 

It will be perceived that, with the exception of 
a full belief in the possibility of final and total 
apostacy, concerning which Arminius hesitated to 
express a decided opinion, while it is evident that 
he strongly inclined to believe it, he taught the 
same doctrines as those afterward promulgated by 
John Wesley, and as now held by a great portion 
of the Christian world ; and in the declaration of 
his sentiments before the states of Holland, he 
makes it manifest that they were uniformly the 
doctrines of the Christian Church until the days 
of St. Augustine. This African bishop, having 
been strongly imbued with the Aristotelian philos- 
ophy before his conversion to Christianity, in some 
of his writings introduced the novel doctrine of un- 
conditional predestination, which was afterward re- 
duced to a more regular system by the ingenuity 
of John Calvin. This Arminius proves in his 
declaration, and, also, that the Reformed Church of 
Holland did not intend to assert absolutely the doc- 
trine for which his colleague, Gomarus, contended 
in the University of Leyden ; but that she fully sup- 
ported his own views of general redemption, and 
the universal atonement of Jesus Christ. 

Considering the ability with which Arminius 
explained and vindicated his doctrine, and, conse- 
quently, exposed the absurdity of Calvinistic de- 
crees, it is not to be wondered at that his antago- 
nists violently opposed him ; and that, being unable 
to answer his arguments, they reproached him with 
holding to sentiments which his soul abhorred. In 
consequence of these misrepresentations, and the 
success with which his enemies persecuted his fol- 
lowers, and also that these deviated in many par- 
A2 



VI PREFACE. 

ticulars from the doctrines which he himself taught, 
most men have imbibed very erroneous views re- 
specting his real sentiments. They have confound- 
ed his doctrines with the doctrines of the Remon- 
strants, as those were called in Holland who re- 
monstrated against the doings of the Synod of Dort, 
and thus attributed to Arminius opinions which he 
neither believed nor taught. It is therefore due to 
the interests of truth, and to the character of a dis- 
tinguished man of God, to do what we may to clear 
away these clouds of error, and to present both the 
one and the other in a just point of light before a 
reading community. This I have endeavoured to 
do. How far I have succeeded the reader must 
judge. 

N. Bangs. 

New-York, May 24, 1843. 



CONTENTS. 



Preface, stating the Reasons for compiling this Life, p. 3. — Introduc- 
tion. — Importance of the Reformation, p. 7. — Revival of Learning under 
the House of the Medici, ibid.— Election of Leo X., and his style of Liv- 
ing, p. 8. — Martin Luther, p. 9. — John Calvin, p. 10. — Disputes respect- 
ing the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, ibid. — Reformation introduced 
into Holland, p. 1L— Armimus arose in this country, p. 12. 

CHAPTER I. 

Birth and Education of Arminius, p. 13. — His first Benefactor, and his 
early Piety, p. 14. — His second Benefactor, and his rapid Advances in 
Learning, p. 15.— Mournful Visit to his native Town, p. 16. — Founda- 
tion of the University of Leyden, p. 17. — Arminius goes to Rotterdam, 
p. 18. — His Diligence and Skill, p. 19. — Embraces the Logic of Ramus, 
p. 20. — Studies under Beza, p. 21. — Troubles in Geneva, and therefore 
departs to the University of Basle, where he is cordially received, p. 22. 
— Testimony of Grynaeus to his Learning and Piety, p. 23. — Also of Beza, 
p. 24.— Visits Italy, p. 25. 

CHAPTER II. 

Called as a Minister to Amsterdam, p. 26.— Silences Opposition, and 
is finally settled, p. 27. — His great Abilities gain Admiration. — Enters 
upon a Course of Lectures on Malachi and St. Paul's Epistle to the Ro- 
mans, p. 28. — Circumstances which brought him into Controversy, p. 29. 
— Coonhert's Dispute, p. 31. — Pamphlet of the Delft Brethren, p. 32. — 
Arminius requested to answer it, p. 33. — On examining the Subject, was 
led to suspect the Soundness of the Supralapsarian Doctrine of Beza, p. 
35. — Reluctantly broached his Convictions of Truth, p. 38.— Bayle's Ob- 
jections to Arminius answered, p. 39. — Bishop Hall's Remarks canvassed, 
p. 45.— Another Objection of Bayle answered, p. 47. — Close of the An- 
swer to Bayle, p. 51. — Remarks adverse to Persecution, p. 55. 

CHAPTER III. 

Arminius nominated to the Professorship of the University of Leyden, 
p. 56. — Character of Uitenbogardt, p. 59. — Letter of Arminius in refer- 
ence to this Subject, p. 61. — Opposition manifested against his Appoint- 
ment, p. 71.— Gomarus opposes him, p. 72. — Impeaches his Honesty, p. 
73. — Case referred to Uitenbogardt, p. 74. — His Opinion impartial, p. 75. 
— Arminius allowed to Answer for himself, p. 76. — Curators' Opinion, p. 
77.— Opposition of Cornelison, p. 78. — Of Helmichius, p. 79. — Very un- 
just, p. 80. — Gomarus renews his Opposition, p. 82. — Arminius answers 
for himself, p. 85.— The Curators apply to the Church of Amsterdam for 
his Release, p. 86.— The Church refuses its Assent, p. 88. — Finally con- 
sents on certain Conditions, p. 89. — Erroneous Statements corrected, p. 



11 CONTENTS. 

90. — Conference between Gomarus and Anninius, p. 93. — Gomarus ex- 
presses his Satisfaction, p. 96. — Difficulties adjusted, and the Church 
and Class give Arminius Testimonies of a high Character, p. 97. — Cer- 
emonies of his Inauguration as Professor of Theology, p. 102. — His Ora- 
tion on the Priesthood of Christ, p. 104. — Arminius addresses Gomarus, 
p. 141. — Copy of his Diploma, p. 143. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Arminius enters upon the Duties of Professor, p. 145. — Variety of re- 
ligious Opinions, p. 146. — Controversy between Arminius and Goma- 
rus, p. 148.— Their Conference, p. 149. — Final Decision of the Supreme 
Court, p. 154. — Remarks on his Oration, p. 155. — Arminius appears be- 
fore the States of Holland, p. 157. — Account of a Conference proposed to 
him, which he refused, p. J 59. — He offers one with the Deputies, which 
they refuse, p. 161. — Another Application made to him, p. 162. — Request 
to the Curators, and their Reply, p. 163. — A fourth Request of the same 
Kind, p. 164. — The same Request made privately, and his Answer, p. 
165. — What occurred at the preparatory Convention, p. 166. — His Rea- 
sons for refusing a Conference, p. 169. — Corrects false Rumours con- 
cerning him. p. 174. — He enters upon a Declaration of his Sentiments. 
— On Predestination, p. 177. — Refutes the Calvinistic Notion of Predes- 
tination, p. 182. — It is not the Foundation of Christianity, nor of Salva- 
tion, nor of Certainty, p. 184. — Was never admitted by any general or 
particular Council, p. 185. — Corresponds not with the Harmony of Con- 
fessions, p. 187. — Nor with the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg 
Catechism, p. 188.— It is repugnant to the Wisdom, and Justice, and 
Goodness of God, p. 190. — Contrary to the Nature of Man, p. 192.— In- 
consistent with the Freedom of Man, p. 193. — Opposed to his. Creation, 
p. 193. — In hostility to the Nature of eternal Life and eternal Death, p. 
195. — Contrary to the Nature of Sin, and to the Nature of Divine Grace, 
p. 196. — Injurious to the Glory of God, p. 197. — Is dishonouring to Jesus 
Christ, and hurtful to the Salvation of Men, p. 199. — It inverts the Order 
of Salvation, p. 201. — Is in open hostility to the Ministry, p. 202. — It 
subverts the Order of Salvation, p. 205. — Opposed to the twofold Found- 
ation of Religion, p. 207. — Predestination as taught by the Calvinists 
both in former Times and in our own Days, p. 209. — A second Kind of 
Predestination, p. 212. — A third Kind of Predestination, p. 214. — His 
Judgment on the last two Schemes of Predestination, p. 215. — His own 
Views of Predestination, p. 218.— The Providence of God, p. 223.— The 
Free-wiil of Man, p. 224. — The Grace of God, p. 225. — The Perseverance 
of the Saints, p. 226. — Assurance of Salvation, and Perfection of Believ- 
ers in this Life, p. 227. — Divinity of the Son of God, p. 230. — Revision 
of the Dutch Confession and Heidelberg Catechism, p. 238. — Reasons 
for such Revision, p. 239. — Objections answered, p. 243. — Farther An- 
swer, p. 246. — Concluding Address, p. 248. — Final Perseverance, p. 250. 
— Christian Perfection, p. 251. — Slanderous Representatioa of his Views 
of Popery refuted, p. 252. — A general View of his Character, p. 259. 

CHAPTER V. 

His mental Sufferings hastened his Death, p. 260. — Nature of his Dis- 
ease, p. 261. — Letter from Episcopius, p. 262. — His Declaration of Senti- 
ments before the Magistrates of Holland, p. 263. — His Disease increases 
in Virulence, p. 264. — Hostility of his Enemies, p. 265. — Extract from 
his Will, p. 266.— His Death, p. 267. 



CONTENTS. Ill 



CHAPTER VI. 



Effects of his Labours, p. 267. — His Address on calling a Synod, 
p. 270. — Preparatives thereto, ibid. — Difficulty of discovering Truth 
must be considered, p. 271. — Charitable Feelings towards those who dif- 
fer from each other commended, p. 272. — We should ascertain wherein 
we agree, p. 273. — A free Convention of Parties necessary, p. 274. 
— Who should compose the Synod, p. 275. — Proper Subjects of discus- 
sion, p. 276. — Who should preside, pi 277. — How the Debates should, 
be conducted, p. 278. — God should be sought, p. 280. — How Differences 
should be adjusted, ibid. — Concludes his Address, p. 282. — Composition 
of the Synod of Dort, p. 285. — Tyrannical Proceedings, p. 2- 6. — Justly 
complained of by the Arminians, ibid. — General Effects of these Proceed- 
ings, p. 287. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The Reformation from popery forms an epoch in 
the history of the world, and more especially in the 
history of the Church, of a very distinguished and 
highly salutary character. It produced one of the 
most astonishing changes, and led to one of the most 
important and beneficial results, which the world had 
beheld since the introduction of Christianity by Je- 
sus Christ and his apostles. It had been preceded 
by a long night of darkness, during which ignorance 
had been fostered as the mother of devotion ; error 
had bewildered the minds of the people ; superstition 
debased their understandings, and profligacy had 
corrupted the manners and morals of all orders and 
ranks in society. 

It is true that the lights of learning, and some of 
the sciences, had dawned upon the world before this 
great event came to pass. Through the enlightened 
taste and liberal patronage of the house of the Med- 
ici, of the Republic of Florence, and more especially 
under the munificent support of learned men afford- 
ed by Lorenzo de Medici, during a part of the fifteenth 
century, learning had revived, and a taste for the 
fine arts, particularly of painting and sculpture, was 
successfully cultivated. Under the government of 
this wise and patriotic statesman and wealthy ma- 
gistrate, men began to awaken from the profound 
stupor in which they had dozed for centuries ; 
schools for the cultivation of a knowledge of the 
Greek and Latin languages were established, by 
means of which the darkness of ignorance began to 
recede. But this revival of learning was not ac- 
companied with any moral reformation upon the 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

hearts and conduct of mankind. On the other hand, 
the immense wealth of Lorenzo de Medici was 
made an instrument of increasing that luxurious 
mode of living which fed and strengthened the sen- 
sual passions of men, and led, finally, to the subver- 
sion of his power soon after his premature death. 
The influence of his character, however, while he 
lived, enabled him to gratify his ambition in secu- 
ring the investiture of his second son with the priest- 
ly robe at the age of nine years ; and so rapid was 
the advance of this juvenile clergyman, that at the 
age of thirteen he was elected a cardinal. That he 
might be the, better fitted for these high offices, his 
father was careful to have him instructed by the 
wisest masters of the age in theological science, 
such as was then taught, in general literature, and 
the fine arts ; while he took care to instil into his 
mind those principles of prudence which were ne- 
cessary to regulate his general conduct. Such 
were his improvements, that, at the age of thirty- 
seven, a vacancy occurring in the pontifical throne 
by the death of Innocent III., this precocious genius 
was elected pope, and took the name of Leo X. 

The taste for literature and the fine arts, which 
he had contracted from the precepts and example 
of his father and other eminent men, led him to col- 
lect around him men of learning and skill in the arts, 
whose genius and efforts he encouraged by a liberal 
patronage. With those things, however, was con- 
joined a love of external pomp and splendour, and a 
luxurious mode of living, which led to a profligacy 
of manners, exceedingly corrupting in its influence. 
In the gratification of these propensities, Leo so ex- 
hausted his treasury that he was compelled to re- 
sort to extraordinary methods for its replenishment. 
Hence the sale of indulgences became a system of 
impious traffic, and a regular tariff for raising a rev- 
enue to prevent the ecclesiastical court from becom- 
ing bankrupt. Little did Leo think, I apprehend, that 



INTRODUCTION. 9 

an obscure monk was rising in Germany, who, by 
his pious zeal for God and the boldness of his at- 
tacks upon this nefarious traffic, would soon shake 
the stability of his throne, and nearly uproot the 
foundation on which it rested. 

Yet such was the fact. In the year 1517 he 
emerged from his cloister, and showed himself to 
the world as a champion for the truth of no ordi- 
nary character. Martin Luther had been thorough- 
ly trained in all the solid and polite learning and 
science then taught in Germany, and was possessed 
of a greatness of soul and acuteness of intellect 
which peculiarly fitted him for the work in which 
Divine Providence designed him to engage. While 
reading the pages of the New Testament, he was 
led to see the necessity of justification by grace, 
through faith in the merits of the Lord Jesus, and 
hence to infer the sinful character of that traffic in 
indulgences which was then carried on through the 
land, and to denounce in just terms of reprobation the 
profane levity with which Tetzel, a Dominican monk, 
" void of shame," endeavoured to inveigle his coun- 
trymen out of their money, by inducing them to pur- 
chase an indulgence to commit sin ! 

This opened the way for the reformation which 
succeeded. It is not, however, intended to enter 
into a detail of the facts and circumstances of this 
great and beneficial event, but only to advert to 
those which are necessary to show the state of 
things when James Arminius came upon the stage 
of action. Luther, in his pious efforts against po- 
pery, was led on, step by step, until he merged into 
Gospel light, and was enabled to establish an evan- 
gelical church on the broad foundation of God's 
universal love to mankind, as manifested in the 
death of Jesus Christ, "who gave himself a ransom 
for all, to be testified in due time." His doctrine 
spread rapidly through different parts of Germany, 
and many able ministers, as well as princes and 
A 



10 INTRODUCTION. 

others, were raised up in its defence. The manner, 
however, in which he stated and vindicated the right 
of every man to think and judge for himself on all 
matters relating to his salvation, led to many dis- 
putes among those who were denominated Protest- 
ants, until, finally, they were divided into two great 
parties, since denominated Cahinists and Arminians. 
The church established by Luther adopted the 
principles afterward promulgated by Arminius. But 
about the middle of the sixteenth century, an ad- 
verse party arose, under the indefatigable labours of 
John Calvin, a man of intellectual vigour and great 
industry. Through the influence which his great 
talents enabled him to exercise over the Reforma- 
tion, most of the Reformed Churches, not under 
Lutheran dominion, embraced his doctrine of uncon- 
ditional predestination, election, and reprobation ; 
and hence arose those interminable controversies on 
these subjects which have agitated the Protestant 
churches from that day to this. That which gave 
Calvin an immense advantage over the Lutherans 
was the more scriptural and rational manner in 
which he expounded the nature of the sacrament of 
the Lord's Supper. With all the hatred which Lu- 
ther had imbibed against Roman Catholicism, such 
was the force of early impressions upon his mind, 
that he could not wholly divest himself of the ab- 
surd dogma of transubstantiation, giving it but another 
name, calling it consubstantiation ; intimating there- 
by that Christ was, in some mysterious manner, 
still united to the consecrated bread and wine. 
The first among the Continental Reformers who dis- 
sented from Luther on this point, and on which 
Cranmer and the English Reformers afterward split 
with the Church of Rome, was Zwmgle, who arose 
in Switzerland about the same time that Luther 
commenced his career in Germany. He rejected 
the doctrine of Luther on this point, and maintained 
that the bread and wine in the eucharist are mere 



INTRODUCTION. 11 

symbols of the body and blood of Christ, and are to 
be used as an outward means of access to God, 
through faith in the Lord Jesus. The same opinion 
was held by Calvin, and all those who adhered to 
him and his other doctrines. 

In respect to the states of Holland, about the year 
1560 they also revolted from the hierarchy of Rome, 
and arranged themselves under the banners of the 
Protestants. They were not permitted to do this, 
however, without a violent struggle. Philip II. , 
king of Spain, under whose jurisdiction the people 
of Holland then were, used all his arts of cruelty 
to restrain them from enjoying their liberties ; and 
to secure their allegiance to him and to the papal 
authority, he created a number of additional bish- 
ops, and established the horrid Inquisition among 
them. But these measures, instead of preserving 
the old system of religion, were the means of its de- 
struction. In the year 1566, the people rose in mass 
against these oppressive measures, and meeting with 
resistance, and treated with scornful contempt, the 
nobles united with them, and they were enabled to 
shake off the papal yoke, and emancipate themselves 
from the bondage under which they had long groan- 
ed. Being aided by Queen Elizabeth and the King 
of France, William of Nassau succeeded in rescu- 
ing the United Provinces of the Netherlands from 
the Spanish dominion, in expelling the wicked and 
bloodthirsty Duke of Alva from the country, and 
finally, in 1573, in giving to all the citizens free toler- 
ation in all religious matters. This opened the way 
for the free and full introduction of the principles of 
the Reformation within the states of Holland. 

They did not, however, embrace the doctrines of 
Luther, but of Calvin. For after the return of this 
great man to Geneva, in the year 1541, the Reformed 
Church assumed a new aspect : the doctrines of pre- 
destination, of partial election and reprobation, as 
taught by him, were generally adopted among the 



12 INTRODUCTION. 

Protestants in France, Switzerland, and, finally, in 
Holland ; so much so, that extremely few thought of 
departing from them. This was the state of things 
when James Arminius arose in Holland, and was 
led by a chain of providential circumstances, at first 
to suspect, and finally to abjure the offensive features 
of Calvinism, and to introduce the doctrine of gen- 
eral redemption and conditional election and repro- 
bation. 

By what steps he was led to this result, the effects 
it produced on the religious world, as well as the 
opposition and reproach he was called to suffer in 
consequence of his embracing and promulgating this 
system, will be fully seen in the course of the pres- 
ent volume. 



THE LIFE 

OF 

JAMES ARMINIUS. 



CHAPTER I. 



HIS BIRTH AND EDUCATION. 



Forty-three years had elapsed from the time Lu- 
ther began the Reformation, when James Arminius 
came into existence. He was born in 1560, in the 
town of Onde water, in Holland, through which flows 
the River Isala, and which had long been distin- 
guished for the industry and frugality of its inhabi- 
tants, as well as for the pleasantness and fertility of 
the surrounding country. His parents had nothing 
to recommend them to public attention but the rep- 
utation of honesty and industry ; for they were people 
of the middle rank in life, and obtained a livelihood 
by the labour of their hands, his father being a cutler 
by trade. His mother, whose maiden name was 
Angelica Jacobson, was a native of Dort, and a 
woman of deep piety, and of an unblemished reputa- 
tion. While quite an infant, Arminius was deprived 
of the instructions and support of his father, whose 
death left him and two other orphan children to the 
tuition and support of a widowed mother. Being in 
straitened circumstances, she was compelled to ex- 
ercise the strictest economy for the maintenance of 
her little household. 

The subject of our remarks was not left, however, 
in a friendless condition. In addition to the prayers 
B 



14 HIS BENEFACTOR. 

and instructions of a pious mother, God raised up 
for him a friend of the Roman Catholic Church, who 
took him under his fostering care, and laid the found- 
ation for his future eminence and usefulness by turn- 
ing his attention to learning and religion. 

The name of this pious and philanthropic man de- 
serves to be enrolled among the benefactors of man- 
kind. It was Theodore Emilins, a Roman Catholic 
clergyman, a man of great learning and deep piety, 
on account of which he was held in veneration by 
his acquaintances. By his intercourse with Prot- 
estants he had contracted a relish for the pure doc- 
trines of the Gospel, and was thence led to see and 
deplore the absurdities of the mummeries of the Ro- 
mish ritual ; and he at once resolved never more to 
celebrate the sacrifice of the mass. Young Armin- 
ius attracted the attention of this good man, and. 
finding him a poor, fatherless boy, he voluntarily as- 
sumed the care and expense of his education. As 
soon, therefore, as his tender age would permit, Emil- 
ius had him carefully initiated into the elementary 
principles of the Latin and Greek languages, while 
special pains were taken to impress upon his under- 
standing and conscience the truths of Divine revela- 
tion. Discovering in his juvenile pupil marks of a 
precocious genius, he was much delighted in impart- 
ing those lessons of instruction which were suited to 
his condition, and more especially did he entreat 
him to devote himself entirely to the service of God. 

These instructions and exhortations were not lost. 
They made, indeed, such a powerful impression upon 
his young and susceptible heart, that he was soon 
led to see the unsatisfying nature of all earthly en- 
joyments and worldly grandeur, and to seek after 
spiritual and eternal things. Hence, he not only 
made rapid advances in letters, but also became de- 
cidedly pious ; took delight in reading the Holy 
Scriptures, and in fervent prayer and devout medi- 
tation. At what age exactly this change in his dis- 



PROGRESS IN STUDIES. 15 

position and feelings took place is not mentioned, but 
he must have been quite a youth ; for we find him, 
at the age of fifteen, entering as a student in the 
University of Marpurgh. That he was soundly con- 
verted to God at this time, whatever might have 
been his age, is abundantly manifest from what is 
recorded of his future course of life ; for, from this 
period, it is related of him that he became a decided 
follower of the Lord Jesus, performed every duty 
with a cheerful spirit, while his heart was inspired 
with a lively hope of immortality and eternal life. 

After thus advancing in his studies and in person- 
al piety, under the inspection of the learned and pi- 
ous Emilius, his fair prospects were obscured by the 
sudden death of his benevolent patron. The benig- 
nant providence of God, however, soon repaired the 
loss, by raising up another friend and protector, in 
the person of Rudolph Snellius, who took Arminius 
under his patronage. He was now in his fifteenth 
year ; and Snellius, who was a profound mathema- 
tician, and well skilled in the languages, placed him 
as a student in the University of Marpurgh. 

This benevolent man had been long absent from 
Ondewater, his native place, having fled from the 
tyranny of the Spaniards, and taken up his abode at 
Marpurgh. At the time of which we now speak, 
he made an excursion to his native country ; and, 
finding Arminius destitute of human aid, and with- 
out a protector, his benevolent feelings prompted 
him to become his benefactor ; and accordingly, 
on his return to Hessia in the year 1575, he took 
him with him, and entered him, as before stated, a 
student in the University. 

But here a new calamity awaited him. He had 
but just entered upon his studies under the benefac- 
tions of his new patron, when news arrived of the 
destruction of his native town by the Spaniards. 
They had besieged the town, and taken it by storm. 
They killed the governor, slew all the citizens that 



16 DESTRUCTION OP HIS NATIVE TOWN. 

could be found, sparing neither matrons, virgins, nor 
infants, and burning their habitations. The news 
of this terrible event so affected the susceptible heart 
of Arminius, that it is stated he spent fourteen days 
in weeping and lamentation, almost without inter- 
mission. And so deep was the impression which it 
made upon his mind, that, some years afterward, in 
a poem which he addressed to a friend in Delft, he 
commences it in the following plaintive strains : 

a Ah ! fuit in Batavis urbecula finibus olim 
Qua nunc Hispani strata furore jacet, 
Hcec Undje Veteres posuerunt nomina prima; 
Hccc mihi nacenti patria terra fuit." 

Of which the following is a translation : 

" Ah ! once a small but lovely city stood 
Within our lines ; its ancient name was gain'd 
From the Old Waters of the passing flood ; 
But now by Spanish hordes with gore distain'd, 
Laid even with the ground, and still as death, 
Is that dear spot where first I drew my breath." 

After giving vent to his grief with all the ardour 
of youthful affection, he left the University at Mar- 
purgh, and hastily returned to Holland, determining 
either once more to look upon his native town, now 
in ruins, or to perish in the attempt. How was his 
young and tender heart wrung with anguish, when 
he beheld in his beloved Ondewater naught but heaps 
of rubbish, and found that his mother, sister, and 
brother, and all his relations, were among the slain, 
and that scarcely a single inhabitant had escaped 
the general carnage ! The only object which re- 
mained, and possessed the power of riveting his at- 
tention for a few moments, was 

" The lovely plain in which his Ilion once had stood." 

Having thus gratified his feelings, and viewing 
with manifest emotions the ruins of his native town, 
with melancholy steps he returned to Marpurgh, 
performing the entire journey on foot between Hol- 
land and Hessia. 



UNIVERSITY OF LEYDEN. 17 

In the midst of these disastrous occurrences, Will- 
iam /., prince of Orange, had founded, in 1575, the 
University of Leyden, in Holland. He was moved 
to this act from a desire to show his gratitude to the 
inhabitants for the courageous manner in which 
they had resisted the Spaniards, who, early in the 
preceding year, had invested the city with a power- 
ful force. They were compelled to raise the siege 
by the timely interference of a body of mariners 
from Zealand, who, on a march into Holland, deco- 
rated their hats with silver crescents, on which was 
inscribed this significant sentence : " Rather Turks 
than Papists." As a memento of their deliverance 
from the cruelty of their murderers, the prince de- 
termined to found a university for the education of 
youth. 

The first divinity lecturer in this University, 
William Feugueraus, published, in 1570, a small 
tract, which he dedicated to the Prince of Orange, in 
which is found the following commendation of this 
excellent prince : 

" In propagating the Reformed religion, the prince 
had neither employed all kinds of men nor all kinds 
of measures ; but, believing that religion ought to be 
planted and cultivated, he adopted such methods for 
this purpose as were neither destructive to the coun- 
try nor injurious to religion itself; for he was con- 
vinced that on the subject of religion men may he 
drawn, but not driven." 

How much better would it have been for the 
Church if all her ministers and members had al- 
ways acted upon this maxim ! 

As soon as Arminius was informed of the com- 
pletion of the University at Leyden, and that it had 
been opened for the reception of students, he deter- 
mined to place himself under its wing, and, accord- 
ingly, made preparations to return to the land of 
his birth. In consequence of this determination, he 
came to Rotterdam, which had become a place of 
B2 



18 GOES TO ROTTERDAM. 

refuge for the few that had escaped from the de- 
struction of Ondewater, his native town. 

The following is the testimony of the Reverend 
Peter Bertius to the appearance and genius of Ar- 
minius while at Rotterdam : 

" At that period, my excellent father, Peter Ber- 
tius, discharged the duties of the pastoral office to 
the Church of Christ in Rotterdam ; and John Taf- 
finus was at the same time French preacher to the 
prince, and one of his council. Both of them were 
wonderfully pleased with the fine disposition of 
young Arminius, with his sprightliness, prompt and 
ready wit, and his great genius. My father had not 
entered on the study of the Latin language till after 
he had attained to the age of thirty years. Being 
himself a student from that advanced period of life, 
he readily acceded to the wishes of the friends of 
Arminius, who had requested that the youth might 
be received into my father's house, where he expe- 
rienced a most hearty welcome, and was treated 
with paternal regard. Those who had provided for 
him that temporary asylum intended to place him 
as a student in this new university ; and my father, 
thinking it an opportunity not to be neglected, re- 
called me from England, where I then resided for 
the purpose of pursuing my studies. We were, 
therefore, sent off in company to Leyden ; and from 
the moment when, together, we first entered within 
the walls of this university, the greatest unanimity 
subsisted between us, and we were most intimately 
connected in our tempers, studies, pursuits, and de- 
sires. But I will not attempt in this place to relate 
how pleasantly that important era in our lives pass- 
ed along. I will only state, that the contention was 
so strong between the students in regard to their 
progress in literature and wisdom, so profound was 
the reverence which they evinced towards their 
teachers, and the zeal and impulse of true piety were 
so great in them, as scarcely to be exceeded. But 



FAVOURABLE TESTIMONY. 19 

the only one of our order who meritoriously distin- 
guished himself above the rest of his companions 
was Arminius. If any of us had a particular theme 
or essay to compose, or a speech to recite, the first 
step which we took in it was to ask for Arminius. 
If any friendly discussion arose among us, the decis- 
ion of which required the sound judgment of a Pa- 
laemon, we went in search of Arminius, who was al- 
ways consulted. I well recollect the time when 
Doctor Lambert Danaeus, our learned professor, paid 
him a public compliment, and eulogized him for the 
endowments of his genius, and his proficiency in 
learning and virtue ; he also urged us, who were di- 
vinity students, to imitate the example of Arminius, 
by the same cheerful and diligent attention to the 
study of sacred theology. Why should I here re- 
count his talents for poetry, in which he particular- 
ly excelled'? Or why should I advert to his skill in 
the mathematics, and other branches of philosophy, 
in which his attainments were solid and profound ? 
There was no study of that description into which 
his genius had not penetrated, and he never enga- 
ged in any literary undertaking which he did not 
happily complete.'" 

The following testimony is also borne to the prog- 
ress which Arminius made about this time in philo- 
sophical researches : 

" Peter Ramus, who had formerly been professor 
in the University of Paris, appeared to Arminius to 
possess attractions far superior to all other philoso- 
phers ; and so completely had he imbibed the style 
of philosophizing and the method of conducting an 
argument which that celebrated logician inculcated, 
that he soon appeared to be another Ramus. It is 
generally understood, that his acquaintance with the 
writings of this philosopher commenced at an earli- 
er period than that which is now under our observa- 
tion. Indeed, the foundations of his logical knowl- 
edge were laid by his early teacher and patron, Ru- 



20 PROGRESS IN PHILOSOPHY. 

dolph Snellius, of whom Meursius, in his Athena 
Balavce, relates, that ' after he had obtained the first 
sight of the Logic of Ramus, while he resided at 
Marpurgh, he was so delighted with it, that from that 
period he addicted himself entirely to that system, 
although he had previously taught Aristotle for three 
years together in the University of Cologne.' It 
was under the auspices of Snellius that Arminius, 
about the close of the year 1578, was invited by the 
curators (or visiters) of the University of Leyden 
to give lessons in the elements of mathematical sci- 
ence ; and, while engaged in the performance of that 
duty, he made no small progress in pure mathemat- 
ics and astronomy. 

" Whoever is acquainted with the excellences of 
the Dialectics of Ramus (one of the best books, by 
the aid of which a wise man may tutor and school 
his thoughts), will soon perceive that an under- grad- 
uate who had mastered that treatise and was famil- 
iar with its contents, and who had, in addition, ob- 
tained such a deep knowledge of mathematics as to 
receive a regular appointment from the heads of the 
University to teach the rudiments of that important 
help to correct thinking, must have amassed ample 
materials for forming himself into a consummate 
logician. These materials were improved by Ar- 
minius to the greatest advantage, in giving lucid or- 
der and methodical arrangement to the operations 
of an understanding that was naturally vigorous, in 
chastening the decisions, and in communicating a 
right direction to the deductions of a judgment that 
was then beginning to form its earliest conclusions 
on subjects of the greatest interest, and in prescri- 
bing bounds to the excursions of a most fertile ima- 
gination. The effects which were produced in Ar- 
minius by this most wholesome discipline of mind 
are visible in every page of his compositions. For, 
in an age that was remarkable for a cultivation of 
close and terse reasoning, this great man surpassed 



STUDIES UNDER BEZA. 21 

his fellows in an accomplishment which was then 
accounted a necessary appendage to every one who 
made any pretensions to literary eminence. But 
his talents, thus tutored, were most conspicuously 
displayed in his oral disputations and discourses 
with men of other sentiments. His measured words, 
with his mild and winning manner, often made a 
deep and salutary impression, even on the minds of 
his adversaries ; and the truth of God was never in- 
jured by any unwary speech that escaped from his 
lips. His enemies, therefore, like the earliest ' ac- 
cuser of the brethren* when he tempted Christ, could 
l ftnd nothing in him? that suited their purpose. They 
generally departed from his presence, either regret- 
ting the falsity of the representations that had been 
previously made to them by other persons, or signi- 
fying in a convenient and polite manner their as- 
sent to every argument which he had advanced, and 
which they usually found themselves incompetent 
to answer." 

Giving such high satisfaction to his friends both 
of the piety of his heart and of his progress in sound 
learning, the Senate of Amsterdam took upon them- 
selves the expense of sending him to Geneva, the 
scene of John Calvin's labours, but since occupied 
by his pupil and successor, Theodore Beza. On arri- 
ving here, he immediately put himself under the in- 
struction of Beza, attending his theological lectures, 
for whom he contracted a great veneration. It is 
stated, indeed, that Beza possessed unparalleled pop- 
ularity for his persuasive eloquence, and for his deep 
insight into the doctrines of the Bible, though he 
was highly Calvinistic in those points on which the 
Geneva Reformer differed from what has since been 
styled Arminianism. It seems, however, that a 
spirit of intolerance, which then reigned in Geneva, 
soon compelled Arminius to leave that place, and to 
repair to the University of Basle. 

We have already seen that he had embraced the 



22 QUITS GENEVA AND GOES TO BASLE. 

philosophy of Ramus, who dissented from Aristotle. 
Though at first he spoke privately only against the 
logic of Aristotle, yet some of the students who had 
become acquainted with his opinions, among whom 
was Uitenbogardt, with whom he afterward lived on 
terms of great intimacy, earnestly requested him to 
give them lessons in logic. This gave offence to 
the officers of the University, particularly to the phil- 
osophical lecturer, who was a Spaniard, and a warm 
admirer of the Aristotelian system. Through the 
efforts of this man, a decree was passed interdicting 
Arminius from teaching the philosophical system 
of Ramus ; and, accordingly, not willing to relin- 
quish his principles, he left this seat of learning, and 
went to the University of Basle. 

Here he was received with great cordiality and 
treated with high respect, for his fame had preceded 
him. Those who became acquainted with him, and 
who could appreciate his piety and talents, predict- 
ed his future eminence and success, not concealing 
even from him their admiration of his genius. He 
received, however, these testimonies of confidence 
and respect with becoming modesty and diffidence, 
and did not suffer himself to be elated with vanity, 
nor misled by ambition, feeling in himself that he 
was entirely indebted to Divine Providence and 
grace for all the good which he possessed. 

It seems to have been a custom at Basle, during 
the autumnal recess, for some of the under-gradu- 
ates who were the greatest proficients in learning 
to deliver public lectures on theological subjects, 
not included in the ordinary exercise, for the purpose 
of mental improvement. Arminius undertook this 
duty, and chose for his subject a few of the chapters 
of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, which he ex- 
pounded in such an able and lucid manner as was 
highly creditable to himself, and obtained the ap- 
plause of all the learned. As a proof of this, he 
received the thanks of James Grynaeus, one of the 



HELD IN HIGH ESTIMATION. 23 

learned professors, who occasionally honoured him 
with his presence, and who afterward frequently- 
applied to Arminius to aid him in solving some 
knotty points, even calling out to him publicly, " Let 
my Dutchman answer for me." So high did he 
stand in the estimation of the faculty of the Univer- 
sity of Basle, that when he was about to take his 
departure for Geneva, in 1583, they offered him the 
degree of Doctor of Divinity ; which, however, he 
modestly declined to accept, alleging as a reason, 
that to bestow this degree upon a person so young 
in appearance, would tend to lower the dignity 
which should always attach to such a sacred title. 

Of the high estimation in which he was held by 
Grynausi before mentioned, the following testimony 
to his learning and piety will bear ample evidence : 

" Grynaeus to all pious persons sendeth greeting. 
" Since we ought to refuse to no learned and pious 
man such testimonials as are worthy of obtaining 
credit for learning and piety in behalf of those to 
whom they are granted, such testimonials are on 
no account to be denied to James Arminius, of Am- 
sterdam. For he lived in the University of Basle a 
life of piety, temperance, and study ; and, in our 
theological disputations, he very often proved to all 
of us that he possessed the gift of the spirit of dis- 
cernment, in such a measure as to elicit from us our 
sincere congratulations. Lectures were likewise 
lately delivered out of the ordinary course, at the 
request and by command of the Faculty of Theology; 
on which occasion he publicly expounded some 
chapters of the Epistle to the Romans, and excited 
within us the greatest hopes of his soon becoming 
qualified to undertake and sustain the province law- 
fully assigned to him of communicating instruction, 
with great profit to the Church, provided he contin- 
ues to stir up the gift of God which is in him. I 
commend him, therefore, to all pious persons, and 
especially to the Church of God which is collected 



24 TESTIMONIES IN HIS FAVOUR. 

together in the famous city of Amsterdam ; and I 
reverently ask it as a favour, that some regard may 
be paid to this learned and pious youth, and that he 
may never be compelled to experience any inter- 
ruption in his theological studies, which have been 
happily commenced and continued to the present 
time. Fare you well." 

He returned to Geneva in 1583, and found things 
in a more tranquil state on the subject of dispute than 
when he was there before. The following extract 
of a letter from Beza will show the favourable im- 
pression which Arminius had made upon his mind. 
It was addressed to the Rev. Martin Lydius, a 
learned minister of the Church at Amsterdam, who 
had, in the name of the ministers and magistrates, 
requested Beza's opinion of Arminius, their adopted 
son. Beza wrote in the name of the Theological 
College at Geneva. 

" Dearest Brother, 

" Your letter was some time since delivered to us, 
in which, both on account of the determination of 
your church assembly, and at the desire of their 
honours the magistrates, you ask our opinion of 
James Arminius, the young man whom you have 
taken under your patronage. Although we returned 
an answer to that letter soon after we had received 
it, yet since, in these perilous times, that answer may 
never have reached you, and a favourable opportu- 
nity now offering itself for transmitting another copy 
by a safe courier, we have thought proper to write 
to you a second answer, that no detriment may ac- 
crue to the studies of Arminius through our farther 
delay. 

" To describe all in a few words, be pleased to 
take notice, that from the period when Arminius re- 
turned from Basle to us at Geneva, both his acquire- 
ments in learning and his manner of life have been 
so approved by us, that we form the highest hopes 
respecting him, if he proceed in the same course as 



VISITS ITALY. 25 

that which he is now pursuing, and in which, we 
think, by the favour of God, he will continue. For 
the Lord has conferred on him, among other endow- 
ments, a happy genius for clearly perceiving the na- 
ture of things and forming a correct judgment upon 
them ; which, if it be hereafter brought under the 
governance of piety, of which he shows himself most 
studious, will undoubtedly cause his powerful geni- 
us, after it has been matured by years and confirmed 
by his acquaintance with things, to produce a rich and 
most abundant harvest. These are our sentiments 
concerning Arminius, a young man, as far as we 
have been able to form a judgment of him, in no re- 
spect unworthy of your benevolence and liberality." 

Soon after he, in company with a particular friend, 
Adrian Junius, made a journey to Italy, visited 
Rome, and other distinguished places in that classi- 
cal land. 

One motive for making this tour of observation 
was that he might avail himself of the advantages 
of the learned lectures of Zabaralla, professor of 
philosophy in the University of Padua. That he 
might the more easily attend the lectures of this 
eminent professor, he took up his abode for a short 
time in Padua, and sustained himself by teaching 
logic to some German noblemen. He, and the 
young gentleman who accompanied him, and who 
never separated from him during his journey, spent 
seven months in Italy ; during which time they took 
a rapid survey of its numerous cities, its natural 
scenery, and works of art, and returned home filled 
with a holy indignation at the abominations of po- 
pery as it unfolded itself in that seat of moral pollu- 
tion, the city of Rome, in the conduct of the pope 
and his clergy, while he was led to admire those 
splendid monuments of genius which were so plen- 
tifully exhibited. 

On returning from Italy, he settled again in Gene- 
C 



26 CALUMNIES UTTERED AGAINST HIM. 

va, and after a residence of a few months he was 
recalled to Amsterdam, where he was duly induct- 
ed into the ministry of the Gospel. 



CHAPTER II. 

FROM HIS ENTRANCE UPON THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY UN- 
TIL HIS CALL TO THE THEOLOGICAL PROFESSORSHIP IN 
THE UNIVERSITY OF LEYDEN. 

Arminius was now twenty-eight years of age, and 
was considered well qualified to enter upon the du- 
ties of the Christian ministry, both from the depth 
of his piety and his theological knowledge. It is not 
to be wondered at, however, that a man of his emi- 
nent attainments should meet with opposition even 
by those from whom we ought to expect better 
things. Accordingly, we find objections raised 
against his settlement in the church at Amsterdam, 
to which he had been invited by the magistrates, 
ministers, and members. Among other things ob- 
jected to him, was his late journey to Italy ; some 
affirming that he had stooped and kissed the pope's 
slipper, others that he had familiarized himself with 
the Jesuits, that he had formed an acquaintance with 
the Cardinal Bellarmine, and had, in fact, renoun- 
ced the orthodox doctrine. These base calumnies 
he most ably refuted, proving that he had never 
even seen the pope, except once at a distance, while 
surrounded by a number of individuals ; that he had 
not seen a Jesuit, nor the cardinal ; and affirming 
that, so far from having renounced the doctrines of 
the Reformation, he stood ready to defend them to 
the utmost of his ability, or to sacrifice his life, if 
called for, rather than abjure them. 



SILENCES HIS ACCUSERS. 27 

Having thus silenced the tongues of his accusers, 
he presented himself before the Ecclesiastical Sen- 
ate of Amsterdam, exhibiting the testimonials he 
had received from Beza, Grynaeus, and others. He 
was received with great cordiality, and treated with 
the respect which was due to his character. That 
he was actuated with a pure desire to edify the 
Church of God, by devoting all the powers of his 
soul and body to His glory, he furnished the most 
substantial and satisfactory evidence. Being mod- 
est and diffident, he felt unwilling to enter upon the 
public duties of the ministry in so large and respect- 
able a congregation before he had accustomed him- 
self to public speaking in another place of less noto- 
riety, and hence he requested permission of the ma- 
gistrates to visit South Holland, for the purpose of 
preparing himself more perfectly for the important 
duties of his station. This permission was not only 
granted, but the magistrates generously furnished 
him with money to defray the expenses of his jour- 
ney ; in performing which he took an opportunity to 
visit some of his relations and friends, and to settle 
some affairs relating to his family. 

After his return from South Holland, he devoted 
several weeks diligently in composing sermons and 
in delivering private exhortations, that he might be 
the better prepared to enter upon the more public 
duties of his station. Finally, in the beginning of 
the year 1588, he presented himself to the class of 
Amsterdam for examination. According to the com- 
mendable custom of those days in the Reformed 
Church of Holland, Arminius stated to his exami- 
ners at some length his belief in all the cardinal doc- 
trines of Christianity ; and, after testimonials in his 
favour from several eminent divines had been read, 
he was unanimously approved by the members of 
the class, who testified their entire confidence in his 
orthodoxy, and of his competency to enter upon the 
duties of a Christian pastor. Being thus received 



28 COMMENCES HIS MINISTRY. 

by the ecclesiastical senate, with the consent of the 
magistrates, on the 4th of February he appeared in 
the pulpit of Amsterdam, in which he was heard with 
much delight and satisfaction. Indeed, such was the 
applause with which his performances were receiv- 
ed, that the presbytery of the city, after convening 
all the deacons, by a unanimous vote offered him 
the Christian ministry in the Church of Amsterdam. 
The magistrates having signified their assent to this 
arrangement, on the I lth day of August, being the 
Saturday previous to the celebration of the Lord's 
Supper, he was solemnly inducted into his office by 
prayer and imposition of hands, after the usual proc- 
lamation had been made that he had pledged him- 
self faithfully to fulfil his calling in conjunction and 
unison with his colleagues. 

u Though," says one of his biographers, " he was 
but twenty-eight years of age, yet he displayed at 
once all the abilities of a consummate preacher, and 
not only realized, but far exceeded the expectations 
which had been formed concerning him by Ins pa- 
trons. His discourses were distinguished for their 
masculine vigour and sound erudition. Whatever 
might be the subject of which he treated, his man- 
ner of discussing it showed him to be a divine not 
of youthful and common mould, but one of great 
jucgment, ability, and accomplishments, and pos- 
sessing a mind well furnished with copious stores 
of knowledge, both in human and sacred literature. 
These qualifications rendered his ministry accepta- 
ble to the highest as Avell as the lowest portion of 
the community." 

Soon after the commencement of his ministry in 
Amsterdam, he formed the determination to deliver 
a course of lectures on the Prophecy of Malachi 
and St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans. His princi- 
pal object in selecting the Epistle to the Romans 
as the subject of a course of lectures was, that he 
might demonstrate the grand doctrine of justifica- 



HIS REPUTATION INCREASES. 29 

tion by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus, in op- 
position to the popish doctrine of justification by 
the merit of good works, as well as to the doctrine, 
by whomsoever taught, of justification by obedience 
to law. In the discharge of these duties, he great- 
ly increased his reputation as a minister of Jesus 
Christ, well instructed in the principles of the Gos- 
pel, of consummate skill in digesting and arranging 
his subjects, as well as of profound erudition. It 
was, indeed, impossible to hear him without being 
filled with admiration for his talents, the dignity of 
his demeanour, the eloquence with which he spoke, 
and the ardent love of the truth which he manifest- 
ed. Whatever deference he felt for those by whom 
he had been instructed into the knowledge of the 
Gospel, it is not to be expected that a mind like his 
would implicitly follow any leader, but would search 
and decide for itself on all points which presented 
themselves for consideration. This he accordingly 
did. And it was this love of truth, and this noble 
independence of mind in following the convictions 
of his own judgment, guided continually by the light 
of the Word and Spirit of God, which gradually led 
him to see and to renounce the errors of Calvinism, 
and to maintain the doctrine of general redemption. 

Up to this time it would seem that Arminius qui- 
etly rested in the belief of the doctrine of predesti- 
nation as it had been taught by Calvin, and explain- 
ed and defined by Beza, never dreaming that it was 
erroneous. Indeed, the greater part of the Reform- 
ed ministers of Holland were in the full belief of 
this doctrine ; for, though Luther had taught the 
doctrine of general redemption, yet such was the 
influence of Calvin's name, supported as it was by 
the talents and ingenuity of his successor, Beza, 
that his doctrines were very generally received in 
the Reformed churches of the Netherlands, as well 
as in Switzerland, England, and Scotland. 

We have already seen the ability with which Ar- 
C2 



30 INVOLVED IN CONTROVERSY. 

minius entered upon his work. Every step of his 
progress increased his reputation, both as a man 
of God, and as a learned and eloquent preacher. 
" There was," it is stated by one who knew him 
well, and who pronounced his funeral oration, " a 
certain indescribable gravity, softened down by a 
cheerful amenity ; his voice was rather weak, yet 
sweet, harmonious, and piercing ; and his powers 
of persuasion most admirable." If any subject was 
to be exhibited to the best advantage, so as to ap- 
pear in its native beauty and loveliness, Arminius 
presented it in all its charms, yet never sacrificing 
truth to ornament; or if any subject which required 
profoundness of thought was to be discussed, he 
would bring it forth with such a force of argument 
as to render it perspicuous to any attentive mind. 
The melodious flexibility of his voice and his pow- 
ers of persuasion were such, that he could easily ac- 
commodate himself to his subjects, and convince 
others of the truth and propriety of his doctrines 
and measures. His great and lofty soul disdained 
to resort to oratorical flourishes for the purpose of 
gaining a momentary applause ; but he relied upon 
the power of truth, explained in a plain and ener- 
getic style, for the success of his efforts. 

In this career of usefulness, Arminius was going 
on, when the circumstance occurred, above alluded 
to, which involved him in a scene of controversies, 
from which he was not delivered until he was trans- 
planted to the regions of the blessed. At this time 
a pamphlet was circulated among some pious peo- 
ple, which had been written against Beza, who, as 
is well known, had imbibed all the peculiarities of 
Calvin, and who was the stanch friend of Arminius. 
This pamphlet had been written by certain brethren, 
highly esteemed for their goodness, at Delft, and 
was entitled, " An answer to some arguments ad- 
duced by Beza and Calvin, from a treatise con- 
cerning predestination, on the ninth chapter of the 



coornhert's dispute. 31 

Epistle to the Romans." It purported to be an an- 
swer to one written by one Coornhert, who had, hi 
the year 1578, held a public disputation with two 
Calvinistic divines. 

The circumstances which led to this dispute were 
as follows : Coornhert came in contact with a man 
who was boasting of having left the Roman Catho- 
lic communion, and had connected himself with the 
Calvinistic Church. Perceiving, as he thought, that 
this proselyte from popery offered no solid or justi- 
fiable reason for his change, he dryly observed to 
him, u It is a matter that may admit of some doubt, 
whether the profession of religion which you have 
abandoned, or that which you have embraced, be the 
better." These expressions being repeated, with a 
few exaggerations, by some who heard them, excited 
the angry zeal of the two Calvinistic ministers, and 
in their heat they precipitately challenged Coornhert 
to a public controversy on the characteristics of the 
true Church. This challenge was accepted, and 
Coornhert undertook to maintain that a people that 
believed the doctrines of Calvin could not be the 
true Church ; in doing which he reprobated, in a 
masterly manner, their peculiar views of predestina- 
tion, justification, and the killing of heretics. This 
controversy waxing warm, was, after a short time 3 
forbidden, by order of the States-General ; but was 
resumed a few weeks afterward at Leyden, under the 
auspices of their high mightinesses, who sent cer- 
tain deputies to act as moderators of the assembly. 
Coornhert relates that he was not allowed by these 
deputies of the states to mention the subject of 
punishing heretics with death ; and that he was 
compelled to follow the two ministers in the order 
in which they chose to conduct the debate, and to 
answer the questions which they proposed. Not- 
withstanding these disadvantages, and those alsD 
arising from his having to contend with two subtle 
disputants, and that, too, before judges who were 



32 SILENCES HIS ANTAGONIST. 

themselves of the Calvinistic faith, he completely 
silenced the chief speaker, Cornelison, who, having 
his anger greatly excited, was unable to proceed 
with his intended arguments. His colleague, Don- 
teklok. came to his assistance ; but he soon caught 
the infectious stammering and hesitation of his com- 
panion, and, either through the want of recollection 
or lack of argument, was compelled to stop. On 
this, Coornhert, who was somewhat witty and bold, 
said, rather smartly, " What ! is this the doctrine of 
Calvin and Beza!" The commissioners, thinking 
this a favourable opportunity to relieve their favour- 
ites from their mortifying embarrassment, gave 
Coornhert a severe reprimand for having the temeri- 
ty to mention the names of those two venerable Re- 
formers. Another person impertinently interfering 
in the dispute, by way of reproof to Coornhert, he 
proceeded to remark, " We are permitted to mention 
the name of God and the devil without being called 
to an account for such words ; why, then, ought we 
to be blamed for speaking of two mortal men that 
were liable to error !" Being much excited, as is 
too often the case in such circumstances, many un- 
guarded expressions followed on both sides ; and 
Coornhert left them, declaring before the hundreds 
who were assembled to hear the debate, that he 
would no longer attempt to reason with men who 
would not concede to him the liberty of a reply. 

This occurrence, trifling as it may appear to some, 
was the means of kindling up a fire which will not 
be extinguished until the stubble of error, even that 
monstrous error which attributes to the God of love 
all the sins in the universe, shall be consumed. 
Coornhert was, to be sure, prohibited by the civil 
authorities for several years from publishing his re- 
ligious opinions, although he humbly petitioned the 
states against so tyrannical an edict. But the min- 
isters of Delft, desirous to present the best apology 
they could for the doctrine of Calvinistic predesti- 



THE DELFT PAMPHLET. 33 

nation, about the year 1589, wrote the pamphlet, the 
title of which has already been given, in which they 
dissented on some points from the stern doctrine of 
Calvin, defending what has been called the Sublap- 
sarian scheme. 

When this pamphlet was published and circulated, 
Martin Lijdius, a minister highly estimated for his 
goodness and eminent attainments, formerly a pas- 
tor of the Church at Amsterdam, but at this time 
professor in the new college at Franeker, in Fries- 
land, transmitted a copy of it to Arminius, with 
an earnest request that he would undertake the de- 
fence of Beza, who was a Supralapsarian or high- 
toned Calvinist, against the objections which had 
been published against him by the brethren of Delft. 
Such was the high reputation of Arminius, as a man 
of an acute mind and comprehensive judgment, that 
Lydius fixed upon him as amply qualified to refute 
what he considered the unsound notions found in the 
pamphlet. 

About the same time that this request was made 
by this eminent minister for Arminius to defend the 
sentiments of his old master, the Senate of Amster- 
dam made a similar request that he would undertake 
the refutation of the sentiments of Coornhert, who 
had boldly advocated doctrines adverse to both Beza 
and the Delft brethren. In this manner an evidence 
was given of the profound respect entertained for 
the talents of this promising young divine, whose 
genius had begun to shine out with a brilliancy of 
peculiar lustre, softened and beautified, indeed, by 
the intermixture of deep piety and chastened zeal. 
All the predilections of Arminius were in favour of 
the doctrine of Beza, for he still entertained for 
that great man the highest veneration. He there- 
fore consented to undertake the task assigned him 
by his friends, and commenced making preparations 
for the work. But how mysterious, often, are the 
ways of Divine Providence ! While balancing the 



34 PRUDENCE OF ARMINIUS. 

weight of arguments on both sides of this intricate 
question, and comparing the sacred Scriptures, on 
which he mainly relied for his support, he found 
that he had undertaken a task which he was unable 
to accomplish, and finally became a convert to that 
very truth which Beza had condemned. 

As every circumstance, however trivial it may 
appear in human estimation, assumes an impor- 
tance of much weight when connected with a name 
so distinguished in the history of the Church as 
that of Arminius, and involves such mighty con- 
sequences as those which resulted from this inves- 
tigation, it will be edifying to trace somewhat mi- 
nutely the progress of his mind in the pursuit of 
truth. It would appear that Lydius himself was not 
much averse to answering the pamphlet of the 
Delft brethren, and had, indeed, pledged himself to 
do so ; but knowing the talents of Arminius for ac- 
curacy of research and logical deduction, he much 
preferred that he should undertake the work ; he 
therefore urged upon him, not only the propriety of 
defending his old tutor, but also suggested that such 
an exercise of his powers would prepare him more 
effectually to refute the reputed error of Coornhert, 
which the ecclesiastical Senate of Amsterdam had 
assigned him. He accordingly yielded to their ear- 
nest solicitations ; but as he had not been accustom- 
ed to decide hastily on any subject, much less to 
do violence to the dictates of an enlightened con- 
science, he resolved to act with prudence ; to make 
an impartial inquiry into the grounds of his belief, 
and not prematurely commit himself to either 
scheme of doctrine, both of which he had been re- 
quested to expose and refute. Instead, therefore, 
of entering immediately upon the refutation of ei- 
ther the Sublapsarian doctrine of the pamphlet, or 
the Arminian — as it was afterward called — doctrine, 
which had been broached by Coornhert, he devoted 
all his leisure hours to a still wider range of study, 



HIS RESEARCHES AT THIS TIME. 35 

to a more critical and deep research, by reading with 
prayerful diligence the Holy Scriptures, examining 
the writings of the primitive Fathers, and of modern 
divines. The consequence of all this commendable 
labour was a full confirmation in the recent discov- 
ery which had been made to his mind, of the true 
and Scriptural doctrine of predestination, and its co- 
relatives, election and reprobation. Yet he was 
particularly cautious in his conduct, very guarded hi 
expressing his convictions ; for he did not, at first, 
venture to say anything publicly against the offen- 
sive dogmas of Calvinism, lest he might unnecessa- 
rily disturb the peace of the Church, and thereby in- 
terrupt the flow of brotherly love, and impede the 
progress of the Gospel. 

The following extracts from the compiler of the 
life of Arminius will farther show the progress of 
his mind in its pursuit of truth, and likewise vindi- 
cate his character from those false aspersions which 
some have endeavoured to cast upon it : 

" In the course of a few months, however, when 
their truth was made still more apparent, he felt an 
impression on his mind that it was inconsistent 
with his vocation, as a teacher and propounder of 
the mysteries of God, to defer so far to the erro- 
neous prejudices of some good men as to hide with- 
in his own heart that which had been committed to 
his trust for the common benefit of others. He re- 
solved, therefore, in a modest manner, to testify his 
dissent from some vulgar and received errors, in his 
occasional discourses on such passages of Scrip- 
ture as obviously admitted of an interpretation that 
accorded with his more enlarged views of God's 
economy in the salvation of sinners, and contribu- 
ted, at the same time, to promote practical godliness. 
This became a settled practice with him in the year 
1590. 

" To trace the progress of truth on an ingenuous 
spirit is a task that yields both pleasure and im- 



36 HE ABANDONS THE SUBLAPSARIAN 

grovement. On more closely inspecting this change 
in the sentiments of Arminius, his conduct appears 
to be entitled to particular commendation. As soon 
as the first glimmerings of the light of truth broke 
in. upon his mind, he did not confer with flesh and 
blood, but yielded to the force of his convictions. 
When farther light from Heaven was communicated 
to him, he abandoned without regret the sublapsa- 
rian scheme which he had recently embraced, and 
intrenched himself within the scriptural stronghold 
of general redemption. In both instances, that 
which appeared erroneous was instantly abandoned ; 
and on neither of those occasions did he betray any 
wish to fortify himself in falsehood, by seeking out 
subterfuges which might enable him still to profess 
his former opinions, or the most ingenious mode of 
mystifying those doctrines of the truth of which he 
had been convinced. But both the supralapsarian 
and the sublapsarian systems were at that time 
popular in Holland, while general redemptiqn was 
so imperfectly understood, or in such small esteem, 
as to be usually classed with Arianism or Socinian- 
lsm. If Arminius, therefore, had any possible in- 
ducement to prefer one of the prevailing schemes 
to the other, his wordly interest must have evidently 
been in favour of supralapsarianism, which he had 
forsaken on the outset of this investigation. Hon- 
our and renown would have been his reward, and 
no eulogy would have been considered too great to 
bestow upon him, had he successfully defended the 
popular doctors of that aera against what were re- 
ceived by their adherents as most pernicious novel- 
ties. Or, if he had even proceeded no farther than 
sub laps arianism, and refrained from showing any 
attachment to general redemption, he would still have 
conciliated some of the regards of the followers of 
Calvin. But being led on by the guiding star of 
truth, and disregarding all inferior considerations, 
he fearlessly pursued his course, and only stopped 



AND SUPRALAPSARIAN SYSTEMS. 37 

at that place to which it pointed. To produce doc- 
trines that were subversive of particular redemption 
was looked upon as an unpardonable offence, and 
which must always experience the greatest share 
of obloquy from the pharisaical adherents to the 
dogmas of mere earthly teachers. But his doctrines 
were all drawn from a higher source than anything 
earthly ; and when they were first espoused, there 
was no man living whom, in relation to their bear- 
ing and application, he could call Master. He ex- 
pected no mercy from those who derive all the prin- 
ciples of their religious belief from human authority 
alone, and either never try them by the elevated 
standard of the Scriptures, or attempt to bring the 
Scriptures down to the level of their principles. 
Yet, knowing all this, and having counted the cost, 
Arminius voluntarily subjected himself to many 
years of ignominy and painful suifering, rather than 
be found to compromise the highest interests of the 
truth of God, the convictions of his illuminated con- 
science, or the spiritual welfare of his fellow-crea- 
tures — all of which were implicated in the doctrines 
which he had been drawn by the Spirit of God to 
espouse and defend. Indeed, no other course of 
conduct could be expected from the man who, while 
but a youth, had behaved with such courage and 
resolution at Geneva, in reference to the philosophy 
of Ramus ; and, in the face of the whole University, 
had defended that excellent system in opposition to 
the subtleties of Aristotle. 

" There are certain doctrines, as well as facts, 
which, having been imbibed in early life, and held as 
axioms on the subjects to which they relate, are not 
discarded without much regret, even after we have 
discovered that the principles on which they pro- 
fessed to rest are false and untenable. They are 
so associated with the beloved teachers from whom 
we received them, are so entwined with the en- 
dearing remembrance of our youthful friends in 
D 



38 HIS STRUGGLE WITH HIS FEELINGS. 

whose company they were first instilled into us, 
they frequently derive so much interest from the 
situations or the circumstances in which they were 
inculcated, and are so interwoven with other incon- 
trovertible doctrines and facts, as not to be with- 
drawn or separated from all these attractions with- 
out a most distressing effort, a kind of mental am- 
putation. With sensations somewhat allied to these, 
Arminius parted from the supralapsarian doctrines, 
which he had imbibed in his very boyhood, and 
which were afterward confirmed and fixed in him 
by the authority and persuasive eloquence of the 
venerable Beza, who had magnified them into such 
importance, as to make the recognition of them, and 
of all their eventful consequences, a sine qua rum to 
salvation. But it is not intended by these remarks 
to detract from Arminius any portion of that praise 
to which he was eminently entitled for his noble 
resolution, when he soared above his own personal 
feelings, and declared himself much more friendly 
to the dictates of truth than to the dogmas of any 
human system, though the latter were, in this in- 
stance, arrayed in all the seductive attractions to 
which allusion has been made in the preceding part 
of this paragraph. Such a triumph over a man's 
tortured feelings is a real sacrifice to principle ; 
and in this way Arminius approved himself to be a 
great and estimable character. To withdraw him- 
self from the sublapsarian doctrines cost, compara- 
tively, no painful effort, because to him they ap- 
peared as acquaintances of only a few months' 
standing ; but to bid adieu to associations long cher- 
ished and highly prized, and to admit others that had 
nothing to recommend them except the severe yet 
chaste lineaments in which truth had depicted them, 
was a considerable trial to his mild and grateful 
spirit. But as his judgment had been strongly con- 
vinced and his understanding greatly enlightened, 
he espoused the good cause to which he was invi- 



bayle's objections answered. 39 

ted, and held fast his integrity. This sacrifice of 
our feelings is the price which we are sometimes 
compelled to pay for the correction of previous 
errors and the reception of clearer truths ; but it is 
a price which, we are assured by our subsequent 
experience of the purchase, is neither exorbitant, 
nor has been foolishly expended. Other persons 
besides Arminius have complied with this demand ; 
and, through many years of suffering, apparently 
arising from the choice which they had then made, 
have reflected on their determination with no such 
feeling of regret as that which they at first endured. 
To the eye of a philosopher this topic presents 
one of those anomalies of which man is said to be 
a compound : Man loves truth, and is earnest and 
sincere in his inquiries after it ; yet it is seen that 
the discovery of it is occasionally no subject of ex- 
ultation to his affections, whatever it may be to his 
understanding. But to an infinitely greater than 
the greatest of finite minds, such a sight is not with- 
out interest : God has himself formed the mind of 
man for the reception of truth ; and when that lovely 
object is offered to the mind at the same time with 
other attractions, to prefer truth to the rest is a 
sacrifice with which He is well pleased. 

* The free-thinking Bayle says, in the first volume 
of his General Dictionary, under the article Armini- 
us, ' It were to be wished that he had made a better 
use of his parts ; for, although it is very probable that 
his intentions were good, we may say he made in- 
novations without any necessity, and under circum- 
stances in which innovation was a source of disor- 
ders that ended in schism.' As some elucidation 
of his meaning, he adds, in the notes, ' St. Paul, 
that great apostle, inspired of God, and guided by 
the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit in all his 
writings, started to himself the objection which nat- 
ural reason might raise against the doctrine of Ab- 
solute Predestination : "God hath mercy on whom he 



40 bayle's objections answered. 

will, and whom he will he hardeneth." This is St, Paul's 
maxim. Now see the difficulty which he proposes 
to himself from it : "But thou wilt then say unto me, 
Why doth he yet find fault ? for who hath resisted his 
will ?" It is impossible to urge this objection far- 
ther ; nor could the most subtle Molinists in twenty- 
pages have said anything more to the purpose. For 
what is the most they could have concluded from it, 
but that, according to the hypothesis of Calvin, ' It 
is agreeable to God's will that men should sin 1 ? 1 
Now this is exactly the objection, as St. Paul has 
stated it. But how does he answer it ] Does he 
call to his aid any nice distinctions, or endeavour to 
qualify it by any forced interpretations 1 Does he 
deny the consequence, or strive to evade any part 
of it 1 Does he enter into any series of arguments, 
or take away the equivocation of the words ? No : 
he does nothing of all this. He only has recourse 
to the sovereign power of God, and to the supreme 
right which the Creator enjoys, to dispose of his 
creatures as seemeth good to himself : "Nay but, O 
man, who art thou that repliest against God ? Shall the 
thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou 
made me thus V He acknowledges here an incom- 
prehensibility, which ought to put an end to our dis- 
putes, and impose a profound silence on our reason. 
He breaks out, "O the depth of the riches both of the 
wisdom and knowledge of God ! How unsearchable are 
his judgments, and his ways past finding out /" All 
Christians ought to look upon this as an irreversi- 
ble decree ; as the dernier resort, from which there 
can be no appeal touching disputes upon grace. Or, 
rather, they ought to learn from this conduct of St. 
Paul never to dispute at all upon predestination, but 
at the first to oppose this as a barrier against all the 
subtleties of human wisdom, whether they arise in 
our minds while we meditate on this great subject, 
or are proposed to us by others. Had Arminius 
done this every time his reason suggested to him 



ANSWER TO BAYLE CONTINUED. 41 

any difficulties against the hypothesis of the Reform- 
ers, or whenever he saw himself called upon to 
answer his antagonists, his conduct then would have 
been truly sage and apostolical, and he would have 
made a proper use of his intellectual faculties. If 
he met with any knotty points, which his reason 
could not untie in the ordinary doctrine, or if he 
found himself better disposed to cherish a less rig- 
orous opinion, he was at liberty to give his private 
sentiments their full scope ; but then here he ought 
to have stopped, and to have enjoyed the benefit of 
them in silence — I mean, without attacking the rights 
of possession, seeing it was not possible for him to 
do that without raising terrible tempests and hurri- 
canes in the Church.' 

" Whenever I read such passages as these in the 
writings of Philosophical Deists, I feel thankful to 
Providence that almost all that race, including the 
cognate tribe of Socinians, shelter themselves be- 
neath the doctrine of fatality, of which Calvinian 
Predestination is nothing more than a specious mod- 
ification. Had the mass of these men held any opin- 
ions in common with us on the subject of predesti- 
nation, Arminianism would have had more dreadful 
consequences imputed to it than it is now possible, 
with any semblance of truth, to invent. How plausi- 
ble is the whole of Bayle's tirade, till it be subjected 
to critical examination ! Arminius is here accused 
of not acknowledging, with St. Paul, the incompre- 
hensibility of the Divine counsels, and of having no re- 
course to the sovereign power of God for the resolu- 
tion of his doubts respecting predestination. Now, 
the fact is, Arminius most unequivocally subscribed 
to St. Paul's doctrine in both these relative cases ; 
but his great crime in the eyes of the Fatalists, to 
whatever school they belong, is, that his understand- 
ing could not concoct the subtle and unscriptural re- 
finements of Calvin, which Bayle ought to have 
known had, only some fifty years before that period,. 
D2 



42 ANSWER TO BAYLE CONTINUED. 

been invented, and imposed on the people of Gene- 
va, who, in return, felt desirous of imparting them to 
others. No portion of these Calvinian subtleties 
was known in the ancient Church till the days of 
St. Augustine. Like a judicious rhetorician (which 
was formerly his profession), this very eloquent fa- 
ther, after defeating the Maniehees with one weap- 
on of excellent temper, invented another to meet 
the attacks of the Pelagians ; and he experienced 
the same complete success with the latter as with 
the former. But it is worthy of note that this ques- 
tion has yet to be settled : ' Is St. Augustine against 
the Manichees, or St. Augustine against the Pela- 
gians, the sounder Divine V All the most learned 
among the Arminian writers quote him in the former 
capacity more frequently than any other Christian 
father ; while the Calvinists adduce his authority, 
in the latter capacity, far more sparingly than any 
one would imagine who is not aware of the fact 
that Augustine against the Pelagians is not sufficient- 
ly high in doctrine for modern Predestinarians. Sev- 
eral of Mr. Bayle's remarks would be perfectly in 
point, were they applied to that prying into the mys- 
teries of God's mind which is practised by the Cal- 
vinists, ' as if they had been at the Divine council- 
board' when these ' secret things' were enacted. 
Thus the niceties of God's secret and revealed will, 
and of common and special grace — unnecessary dis- 
tinctions, to which the Scriptures of truth give no 
countenance — are inventions of the Calvinistic 
school with which all the initiated are quite familiar. 
But Bayle's observations on this subject, and others 
about which he seems equally ill informed, prove 
to the world that he knew just nothing at all about 
the labours or the spirit of Arminius : had he known 
both of them a little better, he would have uttered a 
true saying by declaring, that no man ever defer- 
red TO THE WILL OF GoD WITH MORE SINCERITY AND 

reverence than Arminius. In his works will be 



ANSWER TO BAYLE CONTINUED. 43 

found abundant proofs of his teachable disposition 
and profound humility. 

* But the man has displayed some of his usual droll- 
ery, I suppose, when he states that ' the conduct 
of Arminius would have been truly sage and apos- 
tolical, and he would have made a proper use of 
his intellectual faculties,' had he had recourse 
to the ' irreversible decree every time his reason 
suggested to him any difficulties against the hypoth- 
esis of the Reformers,' which, in another part of 
the same paragraph, he calls 'the hypothesis of Cal- 
vin,' and immediately states the substance of it in 
these words : ' It is agreeable to God's will that 
men should sin !' How far from ' apostolical' 
must the conduct of that man have been, who en- 
tertained strong doubts respecting the truth of this 
unscriptural position, and yet consented to sin 
against his own soul and the souls of others, by 
' enjoying the benefit of his private sentiments in 
silence,' and by neglecting to warn those who em- 
braced such a desecrating opinion of the imminent 
peril of their situation ! How different from this 
was the ' apostolical' conduct of St. Paul, when, 
soon after his last journey to Jerusalem, he met 
Peter at Antioch, and ' withstood him face to face, be- 
cause he was to be blamed' (Galat., ii., 12) for exhib- 
iting a portion of that temporizing spirit which Bayle 
thus industriously inculcates ! What would have 
become of the Christian religion itself (leaving out 
any allusion to the Reformation), if, at its first plant- 
ing, the primitive disciples had consented to hide 
their Lord's talent, when they ' met with any knot- 
ty points in the ordinary doctrine'' of that period 
'which their reason could not untie?' Must they 
have pursued this empiric's general specific, and 
'enjoyed the benefit of their sentiments in silence, 
without attacking the right of possession, seeing it was 
not possible for them to do that without raising ter- 
rible tempests and hurricanes V If, therefore, rights 



44 ANSWER TO BAYLE CONTINUED. 

of this unalienable character are conferred by pos- 
session alone, the world would at this day have been 
divided between the moral misrule of Judaism and 
paganism. But those ancient worthies, instead of 
adopting ' the truly sage conduct' of this weak man, 
were willing to be ' accounted fools for Christ's sake ;' 
and though they were men of peaceable and quiet 
habits, the greeting with which they were received 
in some cities was this, ' Those that have turned the 
world upside down are come hither also P But, in ref- 
erence to Arminius, never was a more unfounded 
charge than this adduced against him by his virulent 
enemies ; for his sentiments, heavenly and scrip- 
tural as they were, could have been propounded by 
no man with greater modesty, prudence, and cau- 
tion, than they were by him. Such, indeed, were 
his humility and circumspection in all things, that 
this became the constant burden of complaint with 
the Calvinists, ' We are not able to draw anything 
from him which can, by a stretch of ingenuity, be 
construed into heresy !' And yet, after having con- 
fessed their inability to fasten on a single expres- 
sion from his lips which might promote their sinis- 
ter designs, they did not cease for many years to 
assert that combustible materials of heterodoxy 
were pent up within him, and would, in spite of all 
his caution, produce an early explosion. But their 
predictions were falsified in the event ; for Armin- 
ius was gathered to his fathers without having a 
single stain of heresy attached to his character. 
4 The combustible materials' were found to be the 
unsanctified passions of the Calvinists, which, about 
ten years afterward, produced a terrible explosion 
at the Synod of Dort. 

" To give some countenance to this advice, Bayle 
refers his readers to a letter of eulogy on the pious 
and learned Junius, which Bishop Hall wrote soon 
after the decease of the professor. In that letter 
he says, ' If I might challenge aught in that your 



BISHOP HALL'S REMARKS CANVASSED. 45 

acute and learned Arminius, I would thus solicit and 
conjure him : "Alas ! that so wise a man should not 
know the worth of peace ! What mean those sub- 
tle novelties ? If they make thee famous and the 
Church miserable, who shall gain by them 1 Is sin- 
gularity so precious, that it should cost no less than 
the safety and quiet of our common mother ? If it 
be truth thou affectest — what alone ! Could never 
any eyes till thine be blessed with this object! 
Where hath that sacred verity hid herself thus long 
from all her careful inquisitors, that she now first 
shows her head to thee unsought ? Hath the Gospel 
shined thus long and bright, and left some corners 
unseen 1 Away with all new truths ! Fair and 
plausible they may be, sound they cannot : some 
may admire thee for them, none shall bless thee. 
But grant that some of these are no less true than 
nice points : why do these unseasonable crotchets 
and quavers trouble the harmonious plain-songs of 
our peace 1 Some quiet error may be better than 
some unruly truth. Who binds us to speak all we 
think ! So the Church may be still, would God thou 
wert wise alone !" &c, &c.' 

" This is certainly a very apposite quotation. But 
however great may be our admiration of the good 
bishop's piety, we cannot compliment his judgment, 
charity, or discrimination for such a production as 
this, which can only be viewed as an apology for 
Calvinism, whose ; craft was then in danger? What 
would the good bishop have said, if, when his fa- 
vourite Calvin first published his improvements on 
the doctrines of St. Augustine, any one had thus ad- 
dressed him in the bishop's own words ! ' Away 
with all new truths ! Fair and plausible they may 
be, sound they cannot. Some quiet error may be 
better than some unruly truth. So the Church may 
be still, would God thou wert wise alone !' Many 
parts of this expostulation might have been address- 
ed with much truth to Calvin ; for, if his biogra- 



46 bishop hall's remarks canvassed. 

phers give us correct relations, he did not always 
bring with him ' fair peace wherever he arrived.' 
The quiet error of popery would have remained dom- 
inant in some places, had it not been conquered by 
the spirited exertions of this Reformer. The read- 
er will experience no difficulty in soon determining 
for himself, by means of facts which will be laid be- 
fore him, whether more of the spirit of the bold Lu- 
ther or of the retiring Melancthon was apparent in 
the mental composition of Arminius. In the mean 
time, though Dr. Hall's letter does not breathe that 
impartiality and moderation which ought to have 
been among the prime requisites of one who had 
to sit as a judge, at the Synod of Dort, on the opin- 
ions which he has here so prematurely condemned, 
we must do him the justice to state that his mani- 
fest predilections had not altogether beclouded his 
judgment. For, in another clause of the same let- 
ter, a part of the truth discovers itself, when the 
good bishop changes his address and thus speaks 
of Gomarus : ' Neither Gomarus, nor your other 
grave fraternity of reverend divines, have been si- 
lent in so main a cause. I fear rather too much 
noise in any of these tumults : there may too many 
contend, not entreat .... Wisdom and charity could 
teach us to avoid the prejudice of these differences. 
If we had but these two virtues, quarrels should not 
hurt us, nor the Church by us. But (alas !) self-love 
is too strong for both these. This alone opens the 
floodgates of dissension, and drowns the sweet but 
lowly valley of the Church. Men esteem of opin- 
ions, because their own ; and will have truth serve, 
not govern. What they have undertaken must be 
true ; victory is sought for, not satisfaction ; victory 
of the author, not of the cause. He is a rare man 
that knows to yield as well as to argue? These re- 
flections are exceedingly judicious, especially in 
reference to Gomarus and his party. It is painful 
at all times to animadvert upon any of the expres- 






ANOTHER OBJECTION OF BAYLE. 47 

sions of such a pious and highly estimable character 
as Bishop Hall: to avoid such an ungracious em- 
ployment, I have chosen to devote an additional 
page to Master Bayle, knowing that my remarks on 
such a partial writer will elicit some tokens of ap- 
probation even from the pious Calvinists. Since 
these persons in modern times openly avow their 
love of peace and Christian concord, I would not 
have them to indulge the imagination, that 

Mutato nomine de te fabulanarratur. 

Yet it is a persuasion of which I cannot divest my- 
self, and which I find is not alien to the minds of 
authors in general, that a perusal of the whole of 
this appendix would still farther improve their spirit, 
gracious although it is, benevolent and kind. 

"An objection is then raised by Bayle in the fol- 
lowing form : ' But it may be said, Would it not be 
acting the part of a prevaricator, and beneath the 
dignity of a minister, to be guilty of any neglect in 
informing his hearers, and setting them to rights 
when they were under any error in point of doc- 
trine V To this he replies, 4 Two capital reasons 
dispensed with his doing this. 

" i The one is, Because he did not believe that the 
hypothesis of which he disapproved was prejudicial 
to salvation. There is no error, however trifling 
and inconsiderable, which is not better rectified than 
retained ; but when circumstances of time and place 
do not suffer us to propose novelties (though ever 
so true), without, at the same time, introducing a 
thousand disorders into universities, private fami- 
lies, and into all the state, it is much better to let 
matters remain as they are than to set about a ref- 
ormation of them, since the remedy would be worse 
than the disease. I except all those cases in which 
the salvation of souls is concerned, and in which we 
are obliged to deliver them from the jaws of hell. 
In such cases, charity does not permit us to be in- 



48 OBJECTION OF BAYLE ANSWERED. 

active, how great soever* the disturbances may be 
which happen in the conclusion ; but we must refer 
the issues to the care and direction of Providence. 
Arminius had no motive of this kind which prompted 
him to oppose the common and received doctrine ; 
nor was it his opinion that to follow the hypothesis 
of Calvin was to risk one's salvation. 

" ' The other is, Because his new method could 
be of no service in clearing up the principal difficul- 
ties which occurred on the subject of predestination. 
He substituted, in the room of one hypothesis, which 
abounded with great difficulties, another, which at 
the bottom was attended with no less. For the Ar- 
minians have no sooner answered certain objections, 
which, as they pretend, cannot be refuted by the 
system of Calvin, than they find themselves exposed 
to others, out of which they cannot extricate them- 
selves, except by ingenuously confessing the weak- 
ness of the understanding, or by paying their humble 
submission to the infinite incomprehensibility of 
God.' On the latter part of this reply it is scarcely 
necessary to animadvert : for the Arminians ac- 
count it no small recommendation of their mode of 
interpreting the revealed will of God, that, after they 
have defended this scriptural position, ' The Lord is 
good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his 
works ;' and after they have demonstrated its har- 
mony with other divine declarations, and especially 
with the account which the Almighty has been 
pleased to give of his perfections, they can then, 
without solicitude, leave all those counsels of the 
Divine Mind which have not been direct subjects of 
revelation, and can most sincerely unite with the 
apostle in this appropriate exclamation, * How un- 
searchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding 
out /' They do not imitate the Calvinists in obtru- 
ding themselves as forbidden and ungracious guests 
into the arcana of heaven, or in rashly stating all the 
stipulations of a supposed covenant entered into be- 



HE ARGUES ON FALSE PREMISES. 49 

tween God the Father and God the Son, long before 
the worlds were made. The Arminians do not pre- 
sume to be wise above what is written, in this and 
in other instances, by a vain attempt to fathom ' the 
depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of 
GodS From the reasoning employed throughout 
the whole of this paragraph, it is evident that Bayle 
has deduced his conclusions from wrong premises. 
On these points he has been misled by his authori- 
ties ; and has erroneously attributed to Arminianism, 
as a system, the difficulties that occur in some parts 
of the Scriptures themselves, and particularly in a 
few chapters of St. Paul's writings. St. Peter, when 
speaking of the latter, informs us that in them ' are 
some things hard to be understood, which they that are 
unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other 
Scriptures, unto their own destruction.^ 

" The former part of Bayle's reply is, in brief, 
1 Arminius was not of opinion, that to follow the hy- 
pothesis of Calvin was to risk one's salvation.' 
Such a circumstance, instead of detracting from the 
great merits of this excellent man, or preventing 
him from propounding his sentiments in a free com- 
munity, ought, on the contrary, to serve the more 
highly to exalt his character. His gentle and toler- 
ant spirit knew, and he was not afraid to avow, that 
the errors into which Calvin and his friends had fallen 
were only those of the judgment ; and his evangeli- 
cal charity, ' which hoped all things,'' would not allow 
him even to insinuate that the Calvinistic doctrines 
necessarily tended to make shipwreck of faith, or to 
produce loss of salvation, in all those by whom they 
were embraced. His conduct in this respect was 
eminently generous, manly, and Christian. Con- 
trast it with that of a gloomy zealot, the passionate 
Gomarus : In the conference between him and Ar- 
minius, holden in 1608, in the presence of the Great 
Council of the States of Holland, after each of them 
had explained his sentiments, the Advocate of Hol- 
E 



50 UNCHRISTIAN CONDUCT OF GOMARUS 

land told them, in the name of the states, ' that he 
thanked God because there was no considerable dif- 
ference between them, at least not in relation to any 
of the capital points of the Christian faith ;' and he 
required both of them, afterward, to observe silence 
about the transactions of that conference. Goma- 
rus then requested to have permission to speak, and 
declared ' that the sentiments of his colleague, in 
reference to the points in dispute between them, 
were of such a description as would make him un- 
willing to appear before God his Judge, if he himself 
entertained any that resembled them !' This natural 
stroke of Calvinian bitterness was a source of the 
greater surprise to the whole assembly, because 
every man in it who was possessed of common 
understanding had perceived, from the explanations 
into which the two professors had then entered, that 
the difference between them did not affect the fun- 
damental doctrines of religion. The conduct of Go- 
marus on that occasion elicited the following remark 
from one of his shrewd contemporaries : ' I should 
much sooner choose to appear before the judgment 
of God with the faith of Arminius than with the 
charity of Gomarus !' Bayle himself, in mention- 
ing this circumstance, offers for it the subjoined 
charitable apology: 'We ought to impute to a per- 
sonal animosity the cruel opinion of this adversary 
of Arminius. ' Some persons, however, will be in- 
clined to impute it to the intolerant and exclusive 
spirit which Calvinism, when unadulterated, displays 
in all situations in which it obtains the supremacy. 
"A similar instance of the ungovernable malicious- 
ness of Gomarus is thus stated : When about to pro- 
ceed to the Synod of Dort, at the close of the year 
1618, he waited at Groningen for the divines who 
had been deputed from Bremen, that he might trav- 
el in their company to Dort. He expected that 
Dr. Matthias Martinius, the eldest of those divines, 
would be of the same sentiments with himself on 



TOWARDS ARMINIUS. 51 

doctrinal points, that is, a bigoted Supralapsarian ; 
and he hoped to be able, by offering inducements to 
him on the journey, to have his support in carrying 
those high doctrines, and imparting stability to them, 
by obtaining for them the great ecclesiastical sanc- 
tion of the approaching synod. But he found him- 
self mistaken in the man. When he had accom- 
panied them as far as Amsterdam, he there entered 
into discourse with them about the Remonstrants 
and the deceased Arminius ; but when he heard 
Lewis Crocius, the learned colleague of Martinius, 
say, with the usual courtesy, in the course of conver- 
sation, 4 Arminius of pious memory !' he fell into a 
great passion, spat upon the ground, and cried out, 
* What ! he of pious memory] Nay, his memory 
is detestable !' In a great rage, he instantly left the 
inn, and accomplished the remainder of the journey 
by himself. 

" If Arminius had on any occasion discovered such 
an unamiable disposition as this, or had his manners 
been equally rude and ungracious, Bayle might have 
had some semblance of reason for talking about 
' introducing a thousand disorders into universities, 
private families,' &c. But the truth is, it was the 
insolent and boisterous behaviour of such pragmati- 
cal and hotheaded Calvinists as Gomarus and his 
party that was the only proper cause of the disor- 
ders which afterward arose. And the magnitude 
of those disorders has been greatly exaggerated. 
There was then an attempt to palm the dogmas of 
restricted grace and inevitable salvation on the con- 
sciences of a whole people, contrary, as it will be 
seen, to the ancient doctrines and practice of the 
Belgian Churches. One individual was raised up 
by Providence to counteract the poison of such 
opinions, and to exhibit the Divine Philanthrophy in 
all its native loveliness. But he did this in the 
spirit and after the manner of his Great Master, 
from whom, as Head of the Church Universal, he 



52 EXTRACTS FROM BAYLE. 

had received his commission. ' He did not cry, nor 
lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street :' 
he left that course to be adopted by his clamorous 
assailants, who never forgave the noble stand which 
he made against their attempts ; and who were 
highly indignant at the immense number and the 
great respectability of those who, by his engaging 
conduct and the soundness of his arguments, became 
converts to the Scriptural doctrines of general re- 
demption. Let the benevolent sentiments, and 
courteous, yet dignified behaviour of Arminius, be 
b no longer thus sophistically warped to his disadvan- 
tage, or become the themes of malicious invective ! 
If they be viewed without prejudice, they will excite 
general admiration, and appear, in their true colours, 
as strong traits of a great and liberal mind, that dis- 
dained to stoop to mean and petty artifices for the 
purpose of magnifying into undue importance its 
own opinions, or of traducing those of its adversa- 
ries. 

" These observations on Bayle will be closed by an 
extract somewhat humorous, which, after our way 
has thus been circumstantially cleared, will bring us 
to the point at which this necessary digression had 
its commencement. Having quoted the passage in 
the preceding oration, in which Arminius adopts the 
dolorous exclamation of the Prophet Jeremiah, and 
having given a bad translation of that passage, in 
which, among other errors, he makes it appear as 
if it had been spoken in a sort of delirium, Bayle 
proceeds to reason upon it in the following manner 
as an expression of disappointed ambition, which 
was obviously contrary to the sense of the extract, 
and to the intention of Bertius : ' One cannot reflect 
upon this without lamenting the vanity of human 
affairs. We are apt to look upon stupidity as a 
great misfortune ; and those fathers who are clear- 
sighted enough to discern the dulness of their sons, 
make it a matter of great affliction to themselves. 



FALSE CHARGE OF BAYLE. 53 

They wish to see them possess a great genius and 
deep learning ; and if they find these, their joy is 
inexpressible. But (alas !) this too often proceeds 
from not knowing what they do, or what are the ob- 
jects of their wishes. To have been a dunce, would 
have been a hundred times better for Arminius than 
to have been a man of such parts and learning. For, 
the glory of having a sect to take its rise and name 
from him, which sect has made no mean figure in 
the world and produced some men of great genius, 
is but a very chimerical happiness when compared 
with the more substantial evils — the sorrows, vexa- 
tions, and bitter sufferings which he underwent, in 
his lifetime, and which shortened his days : these 
he would never have known had he been only a 
divine of the common stamp, a blockhead, and, in 
short, of that class of men to whom they apply [in 
France] that prediction, They will never make Here- 
siarchs !' 

" Suffering this undesigned compliment to the tal- 
ents of Arminius to pass without comment — and 
marking with the strongest disapprobation the de- 
signed and untrue reflection, at the close, on the 
general deficiency of genius and capacity in the 
clergy as a body (a species of remark in which wri- 
ters of this class are fond of indulging) — we may 
observe, that he who wishes in this manner to rep- 
resent Arminius as a Heresiarch, and to intimate 
that he panted after ' the glory of having a sect to 
take its rise and name from him,' has a very imper- 
fect acquaintance with this great divine, and the 
views which he entertained. There was nothing 
sectarian in his spirit : to succeed in an emprise of 
such hazard, required a person of greater boldness. 
His sentiments on the integrity of the Church, and 
on the patient endurance even of its pious and 
abused members, were most correct and elevated. 
In forsaking what his opponents called 'the old 
paths,' for those which he found to be of still higher 
E2 



54 VINDICATION OF ARMINIUS. 

antiquity, Arminius had no desire to be the founder 
of a sect : such a petty and unchristian ambition 
formed no part of his views. His public declara- 
tion, as well as his confidential letters, contradict 
this assumption ; and it was never urged as a seri- 
ous charge against him by the most prejudiced of 
his enemies. To enjoy the liberty of publishing 
his sentiments in quietness, and of meekly teaching 
what was in his conception the real doctrine of the 
Scriptures, formed the boundaries of his ambition— 
if a heavenly desire merit such an epithet. The 
sin of schism he never incurred, but studiously 
avoided every approach to it, as one of the greatest 
injuries that could be inflicted on the Protestant re- 
ligion in that agitated state of European affairs. 
The extremities to which he was willing to be re- 
duced, and the ills which he would have voluntarily 
endured, before he thought it lawful in any one to 
resort to such a measure, may be seen in his very 
able Oration on composing Religious Differences. From 
that document, and the amiable disposition of Ar- 
minius, it was an opinion which prevailed among 
many of the most judicious and moderate Dutch 
divines, that, had he been spared a few years long- 
er to his country, the Remonstrants would not have 
been ejected from the communion of the Reformed, 
and the cruelties inflicted on the unoffending fol- 
lowers of Arminius would been prevented. Such 
an opinion, however, appears to have scarcely any 
foundation on which to rest, except it be the follow- 
ing circumstance : The audacity of Gomarus and 
his party derived a fresh impetus from the death of 
Arminius, in himself a host, whose well-tried men- 
tal prowess not a man among them durst encounter. 
Since the leader was removed, his enemies thought 
they might with impunity oppress his scattered and 
appalled friends, and crush his budding sentiments 
before they had attained to maturity. Though all 
the Protestants in the Low Countries, but especial- 



INTOLERANT SPIRIT OF CALVINISM. OO 

ly the Reformed, had recently escaped from the 
cruel bondage of popish tyranny, yet, as far as Di- 
vine Providence permitted, they acted, with varia- 
tions of the greatest severity, the very tragedy of 
which the Spaniards, their common oppressors, 
had been guilty. But God raised up among the Re- 
monstrants able men, who, young and inexperi- 
enced as they generally were, conducted themselves 
with such exemplary moderation, and with a firm- 
ness and prudence so well attempered as to re- 
move from their enemies every just cause of offen- 
sive or harsh measures. Yet the rage of Calvin- 
ism was not to be appeased, except by ejecting ex 
aris et focis its innocent victims. Indeed, Calvin- 
ism, in its constitution, is as exclusive as popery ; 
and, when possessed of power, the professors of 
both these intolerant systems have (unhappily for 
the peace of society!) demonstrated to the world 
the very small portion which they have imbibed of 
that humble, yet sublime charity, which ' suffereth 
long and is kind, which envieth not and vaunteth not it- 
self, which doth not behave itself unseemly, is not easily 
'provoked, and thinketh no evilS " 

" The following very just observations on this sub- 
ject were delivered in a speech by C. P. Hooft, in 
the year 1598, when he was for the fifth time Burgo- 
master of Amsterdam, before the rest of the magis- 
trates, when they had met together to ' determine 
the punishment to which they should adjudge a cer- 
tain heretic :' ' Perhaps it may be objected, " The 
Spaniards persecuted without reason, but we with rea- 
son" But the papists and the Lutherans make the 
same remark, in whatever place they obtain the su- 
premacy. Every one thinks reason to be on his 
side, and none will long wait for a pretence to pro- 
ceed to the exercise of similar cruelty. If we adopt 
that practice, the ruin of our country will be the ne- 
cessary consequence. We ought, therefore, to op- 
pose the very beginning of that mischief: instead 



56 OBSERVATIONS ON THE SUBJECT 

of external force, spiritual and edifying means should 
be employed ; the fruits of the Spirit — knowledge, 
moderation, and gentleness. In this way the true 
Church is built. If now we should treat with se- 
verity this person for understanding the Scriptures 
in too literal a sense, and the enthusiasts for inter- 
preting them in too mystical a manner, then shall we 
cause the persecution to rage in the same moment 
at the two extremes, and shall probably prolong it 
till it arrives at the middle, especially if we hearken 
to the counsels of some ministers. But it would be 
much better, and a plan of greater safety for the 
state, if these their exasperations were prohibited 
by authority, and if they were commanded to con- 
tain themselves within the limits of their calling. 
Experience teaches us, that many of these minis- 
ters can scarcely contain themselves if we make 
them too many concessions ; and that they not only 
endeavour to revive the times of persecution against 
other sects, but also to excite disturbances among 
their own people, and tumults against the govern- 
ment. Thus some of them, when Leicester was at 
the helm of our affairs, pointed in their sermons, as 
if with their fingers, at the best of our magistrates, 
and brought their lives into the utmost danger by 
inflaming the people against them ; not because 
those magistrates had changed their religion, but 
only because they did not govern according to the 
fancy of the clergy. What occurred in Scotland 
about a year ago will be remembered by some of 
the gentlemen now present, when the ministers in- 
duced the people to take up arms against the king, 
and then ascribed their doings to the inspiration of 
the Holy Ghost. I do not mention these things by 
way of reproach, but only to show that it would 
not be a work of difficulty to find matter of com- 
plaint against some of the clergy themselves, if to 
foment divisions were a good service rendered to 
our country : I mention them, likewise, for the pur- 



OF PERSECUTION. 57 

pose of convincing you how vain a thing it is to 
place entire dependance on mere men. I recollect, 
about sixteen years ago, the judges of this city, for 
some reason or other, desired to have the advice of 
the ministers about certain points of great nicety 
and importance. The ministers, accordingly, deliv- 
ered their opinions in writing, in which they gave a 
tolerably broad hint that the person concerned ought 
to die. But the judges differed so much in their sen- 
timents from the pastors, that they suffered the man 
to escape ; and this conduct of the judges was never 
mentioned as a scandal or offence. If, for our sat- 
isfaction, we were to compare the opinions and doc- 
trines of the clergy with the Holy Scriptures, what 
text should we find in the New Testament to justi- 
fy persecution for the sake of religion ! We must 
not infer it from remote consequences and forced 
conclusions : to hazard body, life, and salvation 
upon the subtle niceties of the learned, seems to me 
a matter far too dangerous. Nor ought these teach- 
ers to employ their learning in raising persecutions 
against those who mistake through ignorance. It 
is their duty rather to consider into what gross er- 
rors even some of the principal and most ancient 
fathers of the Church have fallen. In particular, it 
is very strange that those who so strenuously maintain 
the doctrine of predestination should thus insist upon 
persecution or the forcing of conscience ; for, if their 
predestination be founded on correct principles, no 
man can avoid the error to which he is ordained. As 
for the quotations which are made from the Old 
Testament, some of the learned have justified per- 
secution, and others disproved it, from the very 
same texts. It may be sufficient for our purpose 
here to state, that the Pharisees, Sadducees, and 
other sects among the Jews, did not persecute each 
other on account of any difference of belief; and 

that BAD MEN HAVE ALWAYS PERSECUTED THE GOOD. I 

can never consent that this poor creature shall be 



58 EFFECT OF MILD MEASURES. 

hurried to the Hague, and shut up in prison, to the 
utter ruin of his five small children, and of his wife, 
who is now far advanced in pregnancy. I remem- 
ber how the late burgomaster, Dr. Martin Koster, in 
a very serious and moving manner, acquainted the 
Senate, in a speech which he delivered before them 
eleven years ago, that the King of Denmark and 
other potentates had, according to the best informa- 
tion, entered into a resolution to offer their media- 
tion for terminating the war between Spain and 
these provinces ; but with this preliminary con- 
dition, " that, as they and other princes compelled 
their subjects to embrace such a religion as they 
thought proper, we likewise, the inhabitants of this 
country, should receive such a form of religion as 
the King of Spain might think fit to impose upon us." 
Against which unreasonable condition that gentle- 
man urged the following position, with many just 
arguments : that " neither princes nor magistrates 

HAVE ANY AUTHORITY OVER THE CONSCIENCES OF THEIR 

subjects in matters of religion ;" and he exhorted 
them never to depart on any account from that cor- 
rect sentiment.' The spirit of the Calvinistic cler- 
gy, when in power, may be perceived from this ex- 
tract ; and the sequel of this affair will not be unin- 
teresting to the pious reader. The mild measures 
recommended by the Heer Hooght were pursued 
towards the person then under accusation, who, in- 
stead of being burned at the stake, was banished 
from the city. This lenient course produced a sal- 
utary effect on the mind of the poor heretic, who in 
a short time abjured the most noxious of his errors, 
and, after an absence of a few months, obtained per- 
mission from the magistrates to return to Amster- 
dam, where he resided as a reclaimed character, 
and lived in union with the Church of Christ in that 
city." 

These extracts sufficiently show the manner in 
which Arminius was led to embrace the truths of 



UITENBOGARDT. 59 

the Gospel, as well as the sort of opposition he had 
to encounter in these incipient steps of his progress. 
In the farther prosecution of our work, we shall be- 
hold yet more decisive evidence of the excellence 
of his character, in the manner in which he defend- 
ed himself against the assaults of his adversaries, as 
well as by the patience with which he " endured as 
seeing him who is invisible." 



CHAPTER III. 

HIS CALL TO THE PROFESSORSHIP OF THEOLOGY IN THE 
UNIVERSITY OF LEYDEN. 

Arminius was now, 1602, forty- two years of age, 
and had acquired great celebrity as a man of ardent 
piety, and as a sound, learned, and able divine. But 
he had also become offensive to many of his breth- 
ren in the ministry, on account of the bold manner 
in which he had exposed the obnoxious features of 
Calvinism. He had succeeded, however, in con- 
vincing many of the most pious and learned minis- 
ters and laymen of the truth of his positions, who 
became affectionately attached to him, and who 
warmly and ably defended him against the accusa- 
tions of his antagonists. Among these was his ear- 
ly friend and fellow-student, Uitenbogardt. 

This eminent minister of Jesus Christ became one 
of the most popular and useful pastors in the United 
Provinces, and was for several years domestic chap- 
lain to Prince Maurice. Such was the confidence 
which was reposed in his judgment and integrity, 
that the men in authority consulted him on all im- 
portant occasions, so that he rendered great service 
to the state as well to the Church. This great and 



60 NOMINATED PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY. 

good man embraced the views of Arminius, and af- 
forded him essential aid when he was nominated to 
fill the chair of Theological Professor in the Uni- 
versity of Leyden. His great knowledge, which he 
had acquired from experience, of public affairs — his 
consummate powers of eloquence, on account of 
which he was deservedly called " The Dutch Cice- 
ro," procured for him the respect and confidence of 
all who became acquainted with the goodness of his 
heart and his intellectual attainments. He was, in- 
deed, to Arminius what Melancthon was to Luther, 
Beza to Calvin, and Fletcher to Wesley. He stood 
by him in his severest trials, and defended his char- 
acter and proceedings against the attacks of his op- 
posers, and Arminius repaid him with his affection 
and confidence. 

About this time a sweeping pestilence passed 
through the country, and among others who fell vic- 
tims to its virulence, were two distinguished profes- 
sors in the University of Leyden, namely, Doctor 
Junius and Luke Trelcatius, and Arminius was nomi- 
nated by his friends to fill the chair of theological 
professor vacated by the death of Junius. The only 
remaining professor in the University was Francis 
Gomarus, a decided Calvinist, but a man of splendid 
endowments and profound learning. Knowing that 
Arminius had embraced doctrines adverse to his own, 
and that he was too conscientious to conceal them, 
and too able a divine to yield them from the dogma- 
tisms of a rival, Gomarus roused himself in opposi- 
tion to the introduction of Arminius into the Univer- 
sity, resorting to various arts to defeat his election. 

The first thing, however, was to obtain the con- 
sent of Arminius to fill the station. To secure this, 
his old friend, Uitenbogardt, was requested to inter- 
cede with him to accept the appointment. The fol- 
lowing answer to the letter of Uitenbogardt will 
show the views entertained by Arminius in refer- 
ence to this subject : the first part of which reveals 



LETTER OF ARMINIUS. 61 

a mind and heart deeply devoted to God, and pos- 
sessed of enlightened views of theological truth and 
pastoral duty. 

" James Arminius wishes health and welfare, through 
Christ, to his friend John Uitenbogardt. 
" Your letters are always most agreeable and ac- 
ceptable to me ; but that written by you on the 22d 
of September, which I received on the 27th, was, in 
our present circumstances, more than usually longed 
for and esteemed. For it administers great comfort 
to me, by the bare mention of your solicitude con- 
cerning me and mine, and of your prayers to God, 
which I know to be most fervent and effectual. In- 
deed, I am fully persuaded that, through your pray- 
ers principally and those of our Church, I have to 
the present moment remained uninfected by the 
pestilence which still dreadfully rages and spreads 
its devastations, and which I have been among the 
first to bring down from heaven upon our devoted 
heads. I also feel a confidence that I shall still be 
free from it, through the great mercy of God, if he 
know that my safety will in that case conduce to his 
glory, to the edification of the Church, and to my 
own salvation, as well as to that of my family. But 
I have now for a long time offered myself and my 
life to him ; and I am daily waiting till he require it 
of me, and [meliorem cum fcenore reponat] bestow 
upon me a better life, with interest : I do this with a 
mind that is calm, tranquil, and undismayed. I 
mention with confidence my freedom from terror, 
that I may cause you to rejoice. And I beseech 
Him who is the God of all consolation, to preserve 
in me to the end the same tranquillity of spirit. I 
most earnestly request, nay, I command you, to 
unite in this entreaty with me, who am ready on my 
part to perform for you the same office of friend- 
ship. When this fatal distemper first began to hurl 
desolation all around, and to raise its immense piles 
F 



62 HIS CONFIDENCE IN GOD. 

of victims, my mind was much affected with anxious 
thoughts about my wife and children : for the small 
portion of substance which I should be able to leave 
them was a subject of serious concern. But, by 
the goodness of God, I overcame that temptation ; 
and I now entertain no doubt that they will be ob- 
jects of special regard to the Lord God, who is the 
Father of widows and of orphans. I did not arrive 
at this conclusion because I had conducted myself 
towards him in such a manner as to be enabled 
[confidere] to be confidently assured that his favour 
would be continued towards those who are dear to 
me after my decease ; no, but because I dare hope 
for it [proficient e fiducid] with a believing trust. 

" The consideration of those trifles of mine which 
I have at intervals committed to paper has pestered 
me greatly, and is even now a source of uneasiness. 
While standing on the brink of the grave, I have not 
been bold enough to order them to be burned, because 
it is possible they might be useful to me, if, beyond 
human probability, I should survive this general ca- 
lamity. I find much greater difficulty in bringing 
my mind to the resolution of suffering them to re- 
main as posthumous papers after my decease. For 
I know them to be unworthy of inspection, or to be 
submitted to the judgment of even such a very 
friendly man as yourself. I rejoice, indeed, that I 
occupy such a place in your esteem as I now do ; 
and it is my wish to be equally high in your esteem 
after I am dead. This station in your affections, 
however, I shall not be able to hold, if these produc- 
tions should manifestly declare that I have been 
most unworthy of it ; and this is sure to be the con- 
sequence as soon as they are inspected. But I make 
this communication to you, and I desire it may stand 
in the place of my last will, that I wish my papers 
to fall into the hands of no one except James Bruno 
and yourself, both of whom, I know, will use them 
with equity and indulgence, and would correct them 






DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 63 

for the benefit of my heirs, if any part of them, after 
a slight degree of correction, might see the light. 

" I will here add some farther particulars concern- 
ing my studies. I have now, for some time past, 
turned my attention to the Providence of God, to the 
consideration of which subject I have, indeed, been 
constrained by the peculiar exigencies of these 
times ; and I am of opinion that some things are 
yet among the desiderata for a more ample and ac- 
curate explanation of it, in addition to those which 
have been delivered in a most learned and accurate 
manner by our authors. I have perused Ursinus, 
Zanchius, and Gomarus, all of whom have professed 
to discuss this topic. I frequently ponder, accord- 
ing to the slenderness of my capacity, upon each of 
the arguments which they advance. I animadvert 
on a few things in Gomarus, because his production 
is brief; and I shall probably make some remarks 
on the others : these I will communicate to you 
when I have finished— not for the purpose of teach- 
ing you, but of obtaining your judgment, which I 
have ever highly valued. I gladly enter upon studies 
of this kind according to the inclination of my na- 
ture, which always evinces a propensity for a far- 
ther search into truth, and does not know how to 
leave off till it has gone completely through with 
the search, or, at least, till it supposes that it has 
done so. But, in the present lamentable condition 
of our Republic, various important duties operate as 
hinderances : some of those duties are to be per- 
formed to friends and neighbours, in strengthening 
their minds against the fear of death ; others of 
them must be performed to sick persons, who, op- 
pressed with the heavy burden of their sins, scarcely 
dare repose hope in God through Christ. 

" I account it necessary to relate to you what has 
twice happened to me within a few days. The first 
case was that of a woman who was seized with a 
contagious fever, and the other was that of a man 



64 DOUBTS REMOVED. 

who was labouring under a very baleful species of 
the plague. Both of them were members of our 
church, persons of good life and unspotted reputa- 
tion ; and, in my opinion, both were true Christians. 
She was a woman of strong judgment, and conver- 
sant with sacred things far above her sex. The 
man was so familiar with the same things as to 
have been considered a suitable person for adminis- 
tering consolation to others. They were totally 
unknown to each other : I add this circumstance, 
lest you should suppose that the one was drawn 
by the example of the other into these temptations. 
Both of them began to be troubled in their minds, be- 
cause they could not feel in their hearts [certitudi- 
7iem] the assurance of the remission of their sins, and 
[alloquium] the comfortable attestation of the Holy 
Spirit, especially at that juncture of time, when they 
accounted such perceptions the most needful. They 
had, indeed, attempted, by serious meditations on 
the Word of God and by prayer, to excite these sen- 
sations, if, by possibility, they might be concealed 
in their hearts ; but their endeavours were fruitless, 
and their exertions unsuccessful. The woman vent- 
ed her feelings in floods of tears ; the man com- 
pressed his grief within himself: yet neither of 
them despaired, but were extremely distressed on 
account of what I have just mentioned. To confess 
the truth, I listened to them with a sad heart, and 
was touched with serious commiseration ; I tried to 
apply a suitable remedy to this temptation, and suc- 
ceeded in both my attempts. I inquired into the 
cause of their excessive anguish on account of this 
matter. They replied (and the thoughts of both 
had been on this point alike) that they accounted 
the assurance of the remission of sins, and the testi- 
mony of the Holy Spirit, in the hearts of believers, 
to be that faith by which a man who believes is 
justified; and, therefore, because they were at this 
time destitute of this assurance and testimony, that 



COMFORT OBTAINED. 65 

they were likewise destitute of faith itself. I then 
began to ask them if they did not believe that Jesus 
of Nazareth is the Christ sent by the Father into 
the world, and that he is the true and the only Sa- 
viour of the world. If they did not assuredly know 
that God the Father had in this only Saviour recon- 
ciled the world unto himself, by not imputing to 
them their trespasses ; that the same Jesus had re- 
ceived power from the Father to forgive sins, how- 
ever aggravated they might be, and to bestow the 
Spirit of adoption on those who believe in Him ; 
and that Christ is himself in every respect prepared 
to use this power for the salvation of believers — nay, 
has he not solemnly promised that he will thus em- 
ploy it] They answered they firmly believed all 
these things. I then said, This is the faith which is 
imputed for righteousness, but remission of sins is 
the fruit of this faith ; and a sense of the remission of 
sins in the heart of a believer necessarily follows it, 
in the order of nature at least, if not in that of time; for 
the apostle says, Being justified by faith, we have peace 
with God. The same observations apply to the gift 
of the Spirit, which is bestowed on those who be- 
lieve in Christ ; and on whomsoever it is bestowed, 
it begins to operate [in such a way] as the Spirit 
itself knows will contribute to the salvation of those 
to whom it is given. When I had said this, they 
began to pay attention and receive encouragement : 
the man more particularly, for he was assisted by 
his wife's sister, who, in a manner most appropriate, 
explained his meaning and her own at the same 
time. Both the sick people openly confessed that 
they had hitherto considered the sense of the remission 
of sins to be faith itself But I proved, by several 
passages of Scripture which I produced, that justi- 
fying faith, the remission of sins, and the sense [or 
perception] of this remission, are all distinct things 
in the Holy Scriptures, and consectaries to each 
other. After these remarks they felt still more en- 
F2 



66 VIEWS OF HIS TALENTS. 

couraged. I also explained the causes why this 
assurance and comfort of the Spirit are not always 
felt in an equal degree by believers. By the bless- 
ing of God, the final result was, that both, being ele- 
vated in hope, were imboldened to commend their 
souls to God in hope and patience, and to wait with 
a tranquil mind for the hour of their dissolution. 
Two days after this conversation, the man died in 
the Lord. From these circumstances I have been 
confirmed in my former opinion, that it is necessary 
to make an accurate distinction between things that 
are most closely united among themselves, lest 
confused notions respecting them should produce 
in the consciences of men uncomfortable uncertain- 
ty and perturbation, which cannot be removed ex- 
cept by such a distinction as is agreeable to the in- 
timate nature of the things themselves. 

" I now come to that which is the principal sub- 
ject of the latter part of your letter — the professor- 
ship of theology in the University of Leyden, which 
is vacant in consequence of the death of that very 
famous and excellent man, Trelcatius. You and a 
certain other learned man are of opinion that I might 
be a suitable person for that office, provided I would 
consent to undertake it. I will not begin to say 
that you are greatly in error, lest I appear in your 
eyes desirous of producing petty excuses, if I labour 
to evade that function ; yet those which I do make 
shall be real excuses. I yield at once to your sup- 
position that I shall not be totally unfit for promo- 
ting theological studies if I be diligent and studious, 
and devote my entire powers to this matter. But, 
in opposition to it, many things rise up, and per- 
suade me neither to desert the function in which I 
now am, nor to change it for the other. The first 
is, the extreme love and regard of the Church towards 
me ; and truly I consider it most equitable to remu- 
nerate her for these by a mutual love ; and, if I may 
be permitted so to speak, I attempt this with all my 



PERSONAL SANCTIFICATION. 67 

powers. On this account, therefore, it will be with 
the greatest difficulty that this Church and I can 
part from each other. You know, likewise, the ama- 
zing difference between the intense affection which 
sheep evince towards their shepherd, who is always 
with them, and that temporary affection which even 
the most virtuous of students manifest towards a 
man who is their instructer only for a few years. 
Another consideration is, the edification of my awn 
conscience, to the cultivation of which (I may declare 
to you without blushing) I should not have paid such 
great attention, had not God admitted me into this 
holy function. I have had abundant experience to 
prove that the personal sanctification of a man set 
apart to the sacred office is vastly promoted by the 
discharge of his hallowing duties. Hypocrites alone, 
and they too of the most infamous class, can per- 
form the duties of an office so sacred without de- 
riving from it the benefit of personal sanctifica- 
tion. It is proper, I know, and the order of things 
requires, that the private sanctification of such a 
person ought to precede his separation to his public 
functions ; and I own that thrice blessed are those 
who may be allowed, on this account, to glory in the 
Lord. But the reflection is consoling to me, that 
those also are blessed who are compelled, by the 
public discharge of their holy duties, seriously to 
think upon their own private sanctification. What- 
ever may be the occasion and the cause of an en- 
trance into a Divinity professorship, neither of them 
can be equally powerful and efficacious in this re- 
spect with the exercise of the Christian ministry. 
I declare to you that my too intense desire to inves- 
tigate different subjects has deprived me of much of 
that time which I might have devoted with more 
propriety, and, I am sure, with greater profit, to the 
edifying and hallowing of my own soul. What will 
become of me when I shall have dedicated myself 
to that employment which prefers far larger de- 



68 HIS LOYALTY DECLARED. 

mands for the contemplation and discussion of diffi- 
cult topics ! 1 live also in a republic, to the su- 
preme magistracy of which I can, with the greatest ease, 
and without any stain of conscience or molestation, 
give complete satisfaction. I leave you to determine 
whether I ought to change my situation under such 
a government for one under any other. I am re- 
solved always to preserve an upright and unbiased 
spirit, and not to force my conscience for the sake 
of any man living. Yet, not to be able to please 
Christ without displeasing the magistrates, is occa- 
sionally a matter of regret. This unshaken resolu- 
tion contributes to impart extreme joy and gladness 
to one's spirit. To these inducements for my con- 
tinuance at Amsterdam may be added a regard for 
my family affairs, which deservedly affects the most 
excellent of men, in this view at least, that they 
may consult the future prospects of those who are 
dear to them, and not that they may scrape together 
immense riches. The latter course, you and all 
who know me can testify, I have never pursued. 
Yet it is necessary that this care should not fill me 
with anxiety when I ought to have my mind enga- 
ged in contemplating matters of the greatest impor- 
tance. While I remain at Amsterdam, I persuade 
myself that I can preserve my mind free from this 
extreme solicitude. For I am in the enjoyment of 
an honourable stipend, an augmentation of which I 
think I could readily obtain, if the necessity for 
such an increase should ever occur. For the Repub- 
lic is well able to defray these charges ; and, unless 
I have grievously deceived myself [suscitavi istam 
existimatwnem], the magistrates have conceived such 
a high opinion of me as to induce me, while I am 
content with things necessary, not to indulge in 
wishes for more. And, since I neither exert my- 
self to raise an inheritance for my children, nor 
should I be able were I with much anxiety to make 
the attempt, still, I am not a little refreshed by the 



TEMPORAL ADVANTAGES. 69 

circumstance (in the hopes of which I may cer- 
tainly be permitted to indulge), that the Church [in 
this city] will have a due regard to my offspring, 
and will make a needful provision for them for the 
sake of their father, how feeble soever his ministra- 
tions may have been. These considerations pro- 
duce the effect (nay, they have long since produced 
it) of discarding from my mind all desires for a 
change ; indeed, I never cherished a settled thought 
about any such thing. I have certainly wished, at 
some seasons, to have a little more time and leisure 
for pursuing my studies ; but I have learned, by de- 
grees, to place a less value upon this privilege, and 
to prefer to it the edification of my conscience. I 
have breathed many fervent wishes for the nearer 
presence and society of you and Thysius. To the 
present moment I cherish the same wishes, the ful- 
filment of which I should esteem a greater prize 
than the treasures of the Arabs and Lydians. I 
should prefer the acquisition of your company be- 
fore anything dear and acceptable which could be- 
fall me in this life, in whatever region of the earth 
it might possibly happen. 

" Yet, the motives which I have now enumerated 
have not such a powerful influence over me as to 
make me desirous of despising the judgment of pi- 
ous and learned men, and especially of the Church- 
es of Christ, if they should consider that my labours 
might be more usefully applied in that situation than 
they can be at Amsterdam. But a slight additional 
importance is given to my view of this matter, from 
the fact of our Republic possessing the entire right over 
me; for she afforded me maintenance while I pur- 
sued my studies, and has till now educated and 
brought me up, that I may be able to perform for 
her some useful service. The principal persons in 
the government [of the city] might probably be in- 
duced, with considerable difficulty, to yield me up 
to those of Leyden, or, as that very learned person 



70 FINAL VIEWS. 

expresses it, 'to Batavia herself.' This opinion of 
mine does not depend on a consciousness of my 
own sufficiency, for I know that such a noble Church 
as this deserves to possess better and more learned 
ministers than I am ; but I am also aware that it is 
usual with men in eminent stations to evince an ex- 
cess of attachment towards those upon whom they 
have bestowed their benefits. For, as they know 
that they have firmly engaged and bound such per- 
sons to themselves, they look, in return, for a grate- 
ful recollection of the benefits conferred, and for a 
reciprocity of affection. If the matter be referred 
to the Church, no less a difficulty will arise. And 
who am I, that such a stir should be created on my 
account] 

" These things I was desirous to transmit to you, 
not because the mention of them was necessary, 
but because I can refuse nothing which you may re- 
quire. For I understand that the person whom you 
describe in your letter will, in the course of a few 
days, enter upon the vacant situation for the sake 
of experiment. He has my good wishes in his en- 
terprise, though, for many reasons, T should have 
preferred the vocation of Thysius to that office ; to 
whom, indeed, I think a direct application ought to 
be made, if that which I have heard respecting him 
is not successful. 

u Behold, my Uitenbogardt, what a long epistle 
I have written ! Yet I know from it you will re- 
ceive with much gladness the intelligence that I am 
still alive, and in the enjoyment of good health, by 
the great blessing of God my most merciful Father, 
who, by his own right hand, has hitherto powerfully 
preserved me and my family, in the midst of the 
excessive carnage and masses of dead bodies. I 
do not cease to entreat Him, by ardent prayers, still 
to grant me his protection. Unite your prayers to 
mine, as I know you do, not for me only and for 
mine, but for the whole of our Republic. The ne- 



OPPOSITION TO HIS APPOINTMENT. 71 

cessity of the case demands such intercessions : 
for the plague not only does not abate, but daily 
rages with equal fury, and continues its terrible dev- 
astations. May the Lord Jesus preserve you in 
safety to his Church, to your family, and to me ; and 
may He endue you yet more with his gifts, to the 
glory of his Divine name and to the profit of his 
Church ! Farewell, my prudent friend, ammo, dimid- 
ium mecB ! Cease not to love me, and be mindful 
of me before the Lord. — -Amsterdam, Oct. 1, 1602." 

Many letters passed between Uitenbogardt and 
Arminius in reference to this subject, all of an in- 
teresting character, and highly to the credit of them 
both as men of God, and as having entire confidence 
in each other's judgment and integrity. 

The nomination of Arminius to the theological 
professorship in the University of Leyden stirred 
up a spirit of opposition of a most determined char- 
acter among those who were under the influence of 
Calvinistic decrees, and they took no pains to con- 
ceal their dislike to a man whom they both feared 
and respected. Among these the most violent were 
John Kuchlinus, the principal moderator of the The- 
ological College, who was his uncle by marriage, 
and had formerly been his colleague at Amsterdam, 
and Francis Gomarus, the remaining professor in 
the University. The former expressed his opposi- 
tion most vehemently to Uitenbogardt, saying " that 
Arminius was infected with the heresy of Coorn- 
hert," before mentioned. He also inveighed before 
the curators of the University against Arminius, ac- 
cusing him of manifesting a desire for novelties in 
doctrine ; and, after having made many rash asser- 
tions concerning his fondness for disputations, he 
concluded his harangue with the following words : 
" What can I do, an aged man \ Can I suffer my 
students to attend the University, to hear new doc- 
trines every day, and to bring them home 1 I wUJ 



72 CONDUCT OF GOMARUS. 

not allow it ; I will not endure it. I should prefer 
shutting up my college." The intemperate zeal of 
this aged professor was, however, timely check- 
ed by a very worthy man, the secretary of the Uni- 
versity, whose arguments in favour of Arminius had 
the effect to moderate the hasty temper of his an- 
tagonist, and to induce him to a milder course. 

Among the most disingenuous and virulent opposers 
of Arminius was Gomarus ; Arminius had given 
high offence to this bigoted Calvinist, by the man- 
ner in which he had expounded the 7th chapter of 
the Epistle to the Romans, in the course of his lec- 
tures on that epistle in the Church of Amsterdam. 
He had given a very laboured and lucid exposition 
of that chapter, in conformity to the views of those 
who believe the apostle is representing the state 
and exercises of a penitent sinner, groaning for re- 
demption in the merits of Christ, instead of descri- 
bing the character of a justified believer. This home- 
thrust at Calvinism was, in the estimation of Go- 
marus, an unpardonable offence, and sufficient to 
prevent his entrance upon the duties of a professor. 
He accordingly appeared before the curators, who 
were deliberating on the call of Arminius, and after 
delivering to them a funeral oration which he he 1 
preached on the death and character of Junius, hb 
informed them that his departed friend and col- 
league had charged him with his dying breath to 
commend to their lordships the care of the Univer- 
sity, and more especially the filling the office of 
professorship of theology. " Having now executed 
the commission with which I was charged," he ad- 
ded, " 1 cannot with a good conscience so far dis- 
semble as not to express my apprehension that the 
call of Arminius, for the promoting of which you 
are now convened, will, in my judgment, be the 
cause of most serious injury to the University, on 
account of the heterodoxy which he maintained, and 
which he had openly avowed, not merely in his ser- 



CHARACTER OF THIS OPPOSITION. 7$ 

mons on the seventh chapter of Ihe Epistle to the 
Romans, but likewise in his very grievous discus- 
sions with Junius on the subject of predestination. 
Junius himself had not entertained favourable senti- 
ments concerning Arminius, who, while he remains 
at Amsterdam, can infect only one church ; but in 
his removal to Leyden, he will have it in his power 
to infect many churches, not only in this country, 
but also in other regions. The former city con- 
tains many persons who can contradict his asser- 
tions, and oppose themselves to his attempts, but 
the number of such persons is very small at Ley- 
den. In a university greater latitude is allowed for 
disputations than in a church ; on this account, 
therefore, contentions will undoubtedly arise. To 
raise himself to the professorship, Arminius will 
probably promise to do better; but no confidence 
must be reposed in his words, and it is necessary to 
act with the utmost caution in an affair of such great 
moment, lest the introduction of such a man and of 
his novel dogmas conduce to the detriment of this 
most worthy university." 

This was certainly a very severe censure. It not 
only questioned the soundness of his judgment on 
doctrinal points, but it impeaches his honesty and 
integrity : an accusation founded entirely upon an 
unjustifiable prejudice against this great and good 
man. As might be expected under such circum- 
stances, the curators, whatever confidence they 
might have in the judgment of Gomarus, were 
somewhat alarmed at hearing these heavy accusa- 
tions against so celebrated a minister, who had all 
along maintained such a reputable character for 
probity and talent, and who had never betrayed any 
ambition to obtain the station now so generously 
offered him. They therefore asked Gomarus "if 
he was himself acquainted with Arminius, and had 
read the conferences which he had held with Ju- 
nius." To this he had the candour to reply, " That 
G 



74 CHARACTER OF THIS OPPOSITION. 

he had paid his personal respects to Arminius but 
once, and that was when he saw him at a distance. 
In regard to the disputation with Junius, he certainly 
had not read it through, but had been made ac- 
quainted with it by ministers who were highly de- 
serving of credit." Being farther pressed for his 
authorities to support his allegation, he finally could 
name but one. 

That injustice might not be done to either party, 
and more especially believing that not much reli- 
ance should be placed on the testimony which had 
been adduced, the governors of the University dis- 
missed the subject for the present, with a view to 
give themselves time for a more thorough investi- 
gation into these matters ; and, that they might get 
all the light they could, they first took counsel of 
John Oldenbarnevelt, prime minister of the States 
of Holland, and more particularly of Uitenbogardt, 
the bosom friend of Arminius ; and that eminent 
minister having taken time for deliberation, in the 
first place complained of the injustice which Kuch- 
linus and Gomarus had done to Arminius. He after- 
ward gave a narrative of the controversy which 
arose in Amsterdam some years before, on account 
of the interpretation which Arminius had given of 
the seventh chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. 
He then read the preface and conclusion of the dis- 
putation with Junius, to which allusion has been 
made, and proved most evidently, that what Goma- 
rus called very grievous dissensions had rather been 
friendly conferences ; and that Junius himself had 
entertained a sincere friendship for Arminius, and 
had, even after those conferences, spoken of him 
with much approbation. He concluded his counsel 
by remarking, " That since the affair was agitated 
with this uncommon warmth by Gomarus, and this, 
undoubtedly, at the instigation of others who pos- 
sessed great authority in ecclesiastical matters, the 
eall of the University should be given to another 



THE OPINION OF UITENBOGARDT. 75 

rather than to Armiiiius ; that the greatest doubts 
were entertained respecting the wishes of Arminius 
to undertake the office of professor, and that it was 
still more uncertain whether the people of Amster- 
dam would dismiss him, even if he were to evince a 
willingness to accept of the call ; that this seemed 
a business full of hazard and difficulty, and so much 
the more difficult by how much greater was the 
prejudice with which Gomarus, as he had heard, 
was inflamed against Arminius ; and that the ten- 
dency of the whole would be, that whatever the other 
might produce in favour of his own reputation and 
of his fidelity, would soon after be disparaged and 
overturned ; that he, Uitenbogardt, was unwilling to 
take upon himself an affair of so much difficulty, or 
to have it determined solely by his own judgment ; 
and though he had adduced according to his con- 
science those things which tended to recommend 
Arminius, and though he was quite confident that he 
would never do anything unworthy of himself or the 
University, yet, that he preferred committing the 
whole matter to the care and final decision of the 
honourable the curators themselves ; but that, if 
their lordships still adhered to their resolution of 
calling this divine, he thought it was exceedingly 
proper that Arminius should be apprized of all that 
had been said or done against him, so that, after his 
answer had been heard, they might be the better 
able to consult the best interests of the University. 7 * 
This speech of Uitenbogardt evinces a greater 
desire on his part for the interests of the University 
than for the personal welfare of Arminius, although 
it is manifest that his confidence in the wisdom and 
goodness of the latter was by no means shaken. He 
knew, also, that Arminius was contented in his pres- 
ent relation, was beloved and respected by the peo- 
ple of his charge, and would, therefore, have no 
temptation to remove, other than what arose from 
a desire for more extensive usefulness. Hence he 



76 THE OPINION OF UITENBOGARDT. 

testified to the prime minister, " that Arminius, nay, 
that a hundred Arminiuses were not of such estima- 
tion in his eyes as to make him wishful of distract- 
ing the Church and the University for the sake of 
seeing him promoted." 

His judicious counsel, however, in respect to let- 
ting Arminius know the charges preferred against 
him, and giving him an opportunity to answer for 
himself, was wisely followed. Accordingly, he was 
soon afterward summoned by letter to Harlem, and 
required by the curators "to disclose with fidelity 
all that had been previously done." They likewise 
earnestly requested that, " since in this instance his 
own individual affair was not the only one under 
discussion, but the whole Church was concerned, 
he would not refuse to reveal his mind about this 
matter freely, candidly, and without any evasion." 
This summons and request were received by Ar- 
minius with great thankfulness, and he according- 
ly endeavoured to comply with them with readiness 
and cheerfulness. In order to do this, he proceeded 
to give them an account of all the controversies 
which had been agitated respecting him in regard to 
the doctrines he had taught, and the means he had 
used to silence them, by obviating the objections 
which had been raised against him. He next touch- 
ed upon the professorship, and expressed his high 
gratification at the extreme good-will which the gov- 
ernors of the University had manifested towards him. 

Uitenbogardt, according to the province which 
had been assigned him by the curators, then asked 
Arminius what were his feelings and intentions re- 
specting the professorship. To which he replied, 
" That there were many reasons why he should prefer 
remaining at Amsterdam." He confessed, indeed, 
44 that he was more inclined to the scholastic mode 
of speaking, and not destitute of freedom to write 
something in a style which might be of service to the 
Republic ; but that he was, nevertheless, deficient 



OPPOSITION TO HIM CONTINUED. 77 

in many of those endowments of mind and genius 
which were necessary for the proper management 
of such an office." To this he added, "that, since 
he was by no means his own master, he was desi- 
rous to refrain from deciding either way before the 
Church and magistracy of Amsterdam had granted 
him full liberty of choice ; that when this was done, 
he would deliberate about what might be most for 
the interest of the University and himself; that, at 
all events, he would never be induced to devote his 
services to the honourable the curators until he had 
removed from the mind of Gomarus, in a previous 
friendly conference, all the scruples which he had 
conceived about him ; that he knew how much was 
to be conceded to the peace of the University, and 
how exceedingly necessary it was to apply the most 
prompt and effectual relief to the lamentable dissen- 
sions of the churches, rather than to supply new ma- 
terials for increasing the discord ; that he would nev- 
er, for the sake of any dogma, afford even the slight- 
est occasions of disturbing the peace of the Church ; 
and that, with the same disposition of mind, he 
would receive in good part, and would bear with pa- 
tience, whatever Gomarus had done against him at 
the instigation of others rather than of his own ac- 
cord." 

When this answer was reported to the curators 
by Uitenbogardt, they reflected that the divines of 
the Reformed Church had not always been uniform 
in their views of predestination ; that no council in 
primitive times had expressed any opinion respect- 
ing it, and that many very eminent ministers of the 
Reformed Church coincided with Arminius on this 
subject : on these accounts, they determined to hesi- 
tate no longer in regard to calling Arminius to the 
theological chair. As soon as they had thus deci- 
ded, they despatched messengers of wisdom and ex- 
perience to Amsterdam, with a view to obtain the 
consent of the Church for the release of Arminius. 
G2 



78 OPPOSITION TO HIM CONTINUED. 

They were at first unsuccessful ; for such was the 
strong attachment of his friends in Amsterdam to 
him, that on the 19th of November, 1602, the ma- 
gistrates of that city declared, not only that they 
would not dispense with the services of Arminius, 
but they would not even permit the messengers to 
bring the matter before the presbytery. 

No sooner was this resolution announced than the 
deputies of the churches did all they could to pre- 
vent the call of Arminius from taking effect. For 
this purpose an extraordinary meeting was con- 
vened at the Hague, and those ecclesiastics invited 
others of their body to attend ; and among others, a 
message was sent to Uitenbogardt, in whose judg- 
ment and integrity all had entire confidence. At 
this convention of the churches, various objections 
of a frivolous character, the substance of which has 
already been recited, were reiterated against Ar- 
minius, all of which were completely refuted by 
Uitenbogardt and other friends of Arminius. Among 
others who preferred objections to him was Arnold 
Cornelison, chairman of the meeting, and with whom 
Arminius afterward had a personal interview. The 
following account of their conversation, together 
with other obstacles which were thrown in the way 
of his appointment, is given by one of his biogra- 
phers : 

" He began freely to converse with him, partly 
complaining about the unhandsome judgment of him 
which some men formed, and partly excusing and 
defending himself. He also intimated ' that such a 
mode of conduct did not seem to him to be suffi- 
ciently Christian ; and that a different course ought 
to be adopted, which would be more definite, and in 
more complete accordance with Christian candour.' 
In the same letter, to Uitenbogardt, January 28th, 
1603, from which the preceding is an extract, after 
having mentioned this conference, and the proceed- 
ings of the deputies of the churches against him, 



HELMICHIUS SECRETLY OPPOSES HIM. 79 

Arminius adds, ' I think I can perceive that all their 
consultations and actions have their origin in a cer- 
tain vain fear which has been formed in consequence 
of the unfaithful accounts of me that have been 
given by some people, whom, 1 have said, I can 
easily convince by the force of truth itself, provided 
an opportunity and a place be afforded for defending 
myself.' 

" But the suspicion once conceived respecting the 
heterodoxy of Arminius had fixed its roots far too 
deeply in the minds of those persons to whose care 
had been committed the safety of the churches, to 
allow themselves to be deterred from their purpose 
by any reasons which he could produce. In refer- 
ence, therefore, to the proceedings of the curators 
of the University, an ecclesiastical deputation went 
to the Hague about the end of February, and renew- 
ed before Oldenbarnevelt the complaint which they 
had formerly made concerning the dangers to which 
the University would be exposed if the call to Ar- 
minius was persisted in. They subjoined a request 
that he would not refuse to employ his authority 
with the curators to hinder the farther progress of 
that call. They used the same arguments as be- 
fore, with the addition of one by Werner Helmichi- 
us, who said ' that his colleague, Arminius, had 
very lately declared, in a sermon, that God had not 
yet sent to the Church of Rome a bill of divorce.'' Ar- 
minius had uttered this sentiment in his exposition 
of the second chapter of the Revelation ; and, from 
that, some of his enemies took occasion to suspect 
that he was unduly attached to this most impure 
Church, and had become its avowed defender. For 
it had escaped the observation both of Helmichius 
and of the most honourable the Grand Pensionary 
of Holland, to whom this saying at first sight ap- 
peared absurd, that the recently deceased Professor 
Junius had not only frequently and openly defended 
the same sentiment in his public lectures and dispu- 



80 HELMICHIUS SECRETLY OPPOSES HIM. 

tations, but had likewise expounded that text in 
nearly the very same words in a particular treatise 
written on the Church. As soon, then, as Uitenbo- 
gardt was informed of this secret accusation, he 
presented Junius's treatise to Oldenbarnevelt for his 
perusal ; and assured that very eminent man that 
many others besides Junius, and such as possessed 
high reputation among the Reformed divines, had 
asserted the same thing, not for the purpose of pa- 
tronising an adulterous Church, but rather of mag- 
nifying the kindness of the Almighty, who, since 
some vestiges of Christianity still remained in that 
Church, continued to invite her to repentance. 

" But this behaviour of Helmichius appeared to 
the friends of Arminius to be very unbecoming: 
for they thought it exceedingly unjust, not only 
that this celebrated minister had dared, before an 
individual high in authority, to asperse the reputa- 
tion of his absent colleague, to whom he had never 
spoken on this subject ; but likewise that Helmichi- 
us had desired this eminent man to preserve in si- 
lence what he had related to him, and not to men- 
tion it to Arminius. His friends could endure this 
conduct with the more difficulty, because they knew, 
for a certainty, that this very Helmichius had been 
called to the exercise of the ministerial functions 
chiefly through the recommendation of Arminius. 
A few days afterward, Uitenbogardt showed this 
Amsterdam pastor how unworthy such conduct was 
of a famous herald of heavenly truth ; and, in their 
discourse on the occasion, much mention was made 
on both sides of Arminius, and the professorship 
which had been offered to him. Uitenbogardt ex- 
pressed his astonishment that the deputies of the 
churches should build their projects against Armin- 
ius on such a slender foundation. On the contra- 
ry, Helmichius thought that the churches had the 
most weighty reasons for resisting this call. Ui- 
tenbogadrt complained of the injury which was 



UITENBOGARDT REPELS THE SLANDERS. 81 

caused by the clandestine slanders of the brethren, 
and declared that the solicitude of the deputies was 
too great ; that these attempts of theirs would not 
prove advantageous to the interests of the Church ; 
but that, by such a mode of proceeding, they would 
rather diminish their own influence with the states ; 
and that the proof of this assertion had been felt, on 
more occasions than one, by experience. Helmichi- 
us confessed that many false accusations had been 
made against Arminius ; yet that he had shown with 
sufficient openness that he did by no means sub- 
scribe to the great Calvin's sentiments on predesti- 
nation, and from this circumstance the University 
was threatened with much danger. Uitenbogardt 
acknowledged that this opinion was burdened with 
great difficulties, to the defence or removal of which 
he did not consider himself equal ; yet that no fear 
of dissension could arise from it, provided Armin- 
ius, while quietly avowing his own milder opin- 
ions on this point, received in a tolerant spirit the 
moderate vindication which Gomarus and others 
might wish to offer for their opinions. To this Hel- 
michius replied, that the doctrine of the absolute de- 
cree of reprobation had been received by the Re- 
formed [Calvinistic] Church ; and that those who 
entertained contrary sentiments on that subject 
might be tolerated in the Church, provided they 
would impose silence on themselves, and would 
speak nothing in its disparagement. Uitenbogardt 
declared that, for his part, he was one of those who 
could not assent to that doctrine [of absolute repro- 
bation], for it was one that ought not to be ascribed 
to the whole Church of the Reformed, but solely to 
certain particular divines ; and that, on the contrary, 
those persons who rejected this horrible decree (which 
is Calvin's own epithet for that doctrine), ought to 
be asked to endure with kindness and forbearance 
its patrons and defenders. When Helmichius had 
farther asserted, with too much rashness, 'that 



82 UITENBOGARDT REPELS THE SLANDERS. 

there were certain persons in Amsterdam who 
would prefer greater and more serious accusations 
against Arminius, if his call to the academic chair 
should be persisted in,' Uitenbogardt replied, ' that 
slanders of this description were evidently made 
against the law, not only of charity, but of truth it- 
self ; that he perceived there was introduced into 
the Reformed Church an entirely new species of 
tyranny, which he would by no means endure ; and 
that there were people who spoke in such a manner 
about the Church, as if she was liable to no errors, 
and did not require any more reformation ; that this 
was the cause why any man. who differed ever so 
little from her, could not be tolerated, but was im- 
mediately aspersed with the foul blots of heresy by 
those who might bear witness to some slight differ- 
ence in opinion, or trifling scruple about any article 
of faith or doctrine ; that from this fountain had pro- 
ceeded the audacity with which one of the ecclesi- 
astic order had dared to call Arminius a heretic ; 
and that, by this means, all the liberty of holding 
friendly conferences on the heads of Christian doc- 
trine would be destroyed, and a just fear ought to 
be entertained lest still greater inconveniences 
should thence arise.' 

"This conversation with Helmichius was scarcely 
finished when the celebrated Gomarus also came to 
the Hague, and had much discourse with Uitenbo- 
gardt on the same subject. Gomarus, with a mind 
full of agitation, as one might perceive from his 
countenance, began to upbraid him for having rec- 
ommended Arminius, whom he called ' a man of 
impure doctrine,' and added, that he had rashly in- 
termeddled with the affairs of the University. "When 
Uitenbogardt apologized for that deed in many ar- 
guments, and endeavoured with all his might to wipe 
off the aspersions which had been cast upon his ab- 
sent friend, Gomarus, instantly producing the reply 
which Arminius had given, to the remarks of Junius 



GOMARUS RENEWS HIS OPPOSITION. 83 

(which, he said, had been delivered to him a few- 
days previously by Casimir, the son of Francis Ju- 
nius), declared ' that he would prove Arminius to be 
the patron not only of impure, but likewise of impi- 
ous doctrine.' In proof of this assertion, he imme- 
diately quoted from the manuscript the following 
sentence : The human will is not determined either to the 
one part or the other by any Divine decree ; and then 
exclaimed, ' There is an impious sentiment !' To 
this observation Uitenbogardt replied, that there was 
no impiety in saying, ' God does not determine 
those things which he is unwilling to determine ;' 
that Arminius would produce sound reasons for that 
assertion ; and that the famous Junius had asserted 
nearly the same thing in his pamphlet On the First Sin 
of Adam. Dismissing this topic, Gomarus directed 
the discourse into another channel, and affirmed 
' that the sentiments of Arminius on the seventh 
chapter of the Epistle to the Romans were manifest- 
ly in opposition to the doctrine of the churches. 1 
Uitenbogardt inquired after the particular article in 
the [Dutch] Confession and the [Heidelberg] Cate- 
chism, against which that interpretation offended. 
Gomarus said ' that a judgment must be formed 
about the doctrines of churches, not only from these 
acknowledged formularies, but chiefly from the con- 
sentaneous opinions of the pastors.' But Uitenbo- 
gardt rejoined, that such an expression as that 
savoured of popery, and that he was acquainted with 
no other consent of the churches, except that which 
is contained in the express words of the Confession. 
Mention having afterward been made of the affair of 
predestination, Gomarus confessed ' that it was pos- 
sible to discuss this decree with modesty, and to 
tolerate Arminius, provided he conducted himself 
with moderation.' Uitenbogardt seized this oppor- 
tunity, and in a serious, yet courteous spirit, advised 
this divine not to grant an undue indulgence to his 
passions, nor to suffer himself to be hurried away 



84 GOMARUS RENEWS HIS OPPOSITION. 

by the sinister reports which other people formed 
respecting Arminius. He also added, that Arminius 
would not undertake this office until he had previ- 
ously instituted a friendly conference with him [Go- 
marus] about these and other difficulties ; that he 
had no higher wish than that of cultivating with him 
a fraternal friendship ; and that his resolution was 
fixed, rather to refrain forever from the exercise of 
the professorial functions, than to afford even the 
slightest occasion of disturbance to the churches ; 
that in other quarters troubles were sufficiently 
numerous ; and that, if regard was had to peace, he 
had no doubt of Arminius giving him abundant sat- 
isfaction. To these suggestions Gomarus mildly 
and frankly replied, 'that this, also, was the sole 
object of his desire ; that Arminius would prove a 
very acceptable colleague to him ; and that he would 
tolerate all things which it was possible to bear, for 
the sake of peace, and with a safe conscience.' " 

" The younger Brandt gives the subjoined account 
of the farther proceedings of the curators : Armini- 
us, who was not ignorant of these machinations 
against him, attempted to direct his attention to one 
point — to find out a way by which he might defend 
himself against the charges of his adversaries, and 
might destroy their force. And since he began to 
discover that he had been infamously traduced be- 
fore Oldenbarnevelt, it appeared to him to be the 
most advisable course, to defend the innocency of 
his reputation in the presence of that eminent man, 
and to give notice of his intention, prior to his ap- 
pearance at the Hague, to the honourable the burgo- 
masters, to Helmiciiius, and others, who had brand- 
ed his name with infamy. But he was prevented 
from executing this purpose, and undertaking the 
proposed journey, through an infirm state of health, 
produced by a violent catarrh, which had been com- 
municated by the frost, and which had affected the 
brain and the contiguous parts of his head. When 



ARMINIUS REPLIES. 85 

communicating this information to his friend Uiten- 
bogardt, on the 3d of March, 1603, he disclosed the 
state of his mind and his wishes in the following 
words : ' I wish the favour could be obtained of the 
Right Honourable Barnevelt to command the deputies 
of the churches to proceed against me personally in 
his presence. Such a course, indeed, I request and 
desire much more ardently than that which they 
suppose to be the object of my desires, that is to 
say, the theological professorship. But I am fully 
persuaded within myself (and so undoubtedly it ought 
to be), that those good men will not gain credence 
among persons of discretion and prudence ; espe- 
cially when they find that he who is the object of 
attack offers himself to a legitimate defence, and is 
an elder [presbyter], against whom [according to the 
Scriptures] it is not lawful to receive an accusation 
except before two or three witnesses. I am of opin- 
ion, therefore, that this excursion is not very neces- 
sary at this time, when a great part of the deputies 
have already departed, to whom Helmichius might 
appeal if I commenced a discussion with him. In 
the mean time, I retain the proper right of making a 
lawful experiment with him, and even with the rest 
of his associates. But your advice, and that of 
others, will determine me in the course which I 
shall pursue. Yet, if you account it necessary that 
I should disclose my mind on certain questions, you 
may transcribe them, and I will return the plainest 
and most sincere answers. For I am unwilling to 
commit or to omit anything, merely because it may 
serve to promote or to hinder my call. I have re- 
solved, indeed, to commit myself entirely to the will 
of God, that 1 may possess a good conscience, what 
issue soever the affair may have. In the mean time, 
I wish you to be in good spirits, and to abate your 
anguish : for I know the urgent need there is of re- 
quiring this favour from you. The Lord God will 
himself provide, and will grant such success as he 
H 



86 APPLICATION TO HIS CHURCH. 

knows will prove most conducive to his own glory, 
to the edification of his Church, and to the salvation 
of myself and family. On Him I cast my every 
care : He will bring forth my righteousness as the 
light, and my judgment as the noonday.' 

"The honourable the curators of the University, 
still promising to themselves better things respect- 
ing Arminius than were reported, thought nothing 
ought to be unattempted by which they might ob- 
tain him who was the object of their wishes. 
Having consulted the most illustrious Prince Mau- 
rice, and communicated to him their deliberations, 
they added an earnest entreaty that some one, in 
the name of his highness, might be associated with 
them for the purpose of promoting this business 
among the people of Amsterdam. The prince 
kindly acceded to their request ; and on the 13th of 
March, 1603, he called Uitenbogardt to him, and be- 
sought him in the most affable manner not to refuse 
to undertake this province, which was in a great 
measure ecclesiastical. He also pledged his faith 
to furnish him with letters of credence : Uitenbo- 
gardt procured his credentials on the 1st of April, and 
immediately commenced his journey to Amsterdam, 
in company with the most noble J. Dousa, and N. 
Zeystius, the Syndic of Leyden. They were short- 
ly afterward joined by the honourable Neostadius, 
and N. Kromhoutius, the chief Senator of the High 
Court, whom the curators had called in to their aid, 
and whose influence with the Senate of Amsterdam 
was very great. 

u But, in order to prepare an easier way to them- 
selves for executing the commission with which 
they had been intrusted, they thought it expedient 
to enter into previous conferences with some of the 
magistrates and ministers of the Church. On the 
5th of April, therefore, having obtained a public au- 
dience with the magistrates, they explained at large 
the reasons of the journey which they had taken : 



THE CHURCH REFUSES TO PART WITH HIM. 87 

Kromhoutius being the advocate of the curators, 
and Uitenbogardt acting in behalf of the Prince of 
Orange. Their entreaties for gaining Arminius 
were fortified by various arguments. But, on the 
other hand, the magistrates extolled the merits of 
their pastor, and declared that his services were 
useful and necessary for the refutation of the opin- 
ions of different parties on sacred subjects, and that 
they could on no account dispense with the ministry 
of such a preacher. These, and other arguments of 
the same kind, were ingenuously, and with a greater 
force, turned in their own favour by the curators ; 
till at length the magistrates came to a resolution 
4 that they would deliberate farther about this busi- 
ness ;' and they granted leave to discuss this mat- 
ter in a meeting of the ecclesiastics. 

" A meeting of the pastors was therefore convened 
on the 8th of April, before whom the delegates of 
the University produced the same arguments for 
their advice which they had employed before the 
magistrates. For the sake of promoting this busi- 
ness, they likewise held out hopes, and gave their 
word of honour, that, if the presiding members of 
the Church of Amsterdam resolved to substitute 
another celebrated pastor in the place of Arminius, 
who was to have letters dimissory, or even if they 
determined to renew the call which they had pre- 
viously given to Baselius, the very eloquent minis- 
ter of Bergen-op-zoom, from whom they had re- 
ceived a refusal ; in that case, the illustrious the 
states and his highness the prince would employ 
all their influence to effect the object of their wishes. 

" The presbytery, having heard all these induce- 
ments, and having taken some time for deliberation, 
thought proper, on the 11th of April, to intimate to 
the magistrates, by a deputation from their own 
body, ' that Arminius was, above all others, bound 
and engaged to their church, and that they should 
prefer his being retained in her service.' But, since 



83 THE CHURCH REFUSES TO PART WITH HIM, 

the magistrates thought that this opinion of the 
ecclesiastical assembly was expressed in terms that 
were in some measure doubtful and too general, and 
since they requested their fuller advice and resolu- 
tion about this affair, the presbytery determined 
that they would treat with Arminius himself, by the 
same deputation. These ecclesiastical deputies, 
therefore, accosted him in all the alluring softness 
and courtesy of which they were possessed, and 
ardently entreated him ' to suffer himself to be in- 
duced to keep his promise with this church, and to 
devote his powers to her service.' To these en- 
treaties Arminius replied, ' that he was formerly 
less inclined to take upon himself the professorial 
office, but that, in the present state of affairs, he 
felt more powerfully impelled to embrace it, and to 
petition for his dismissal ; that there appeared to 
him evident reasons why he could no longer render 
any essential service to the Church of Amsterdam, 
if his dismissal were refused ; that if it were proba- 
ble a consideration of the expense formerly incur- 
red in the prosecution of his studies would militate 
against his obtaining his dismissal, he should much 
prefer refunding the whole of it, rather than make 
his call to the professorship void ; and that he w r as 
prepared to hold a conference with Gomarus in the 
presence of the synod and of the Church.' 

When the result of this interview was communi- 
cated to the magistrates, they evinced no small so- 
licitude about the matter, and entertained a fear 
lest, from too anxious a consideration of the refusal 
of his dismission, Arminius should contract a severe 
disorder, and thus be rendered useless both to the 
Church and the University, and lest many unpleasant 
rumours should thence arise : they demanded, there- 
fore, with still greater earnestness, an ulterior de- 
liberation from the ecclesiastical senate. But the 
reverend members of that body began to invent de- 
lays, and to disagree on some points with each oth- 



THE PRESBYTERY CONSENTS. 89 

er: some of them accusing Arminius of teaching 
depraved doctrine, while others defended him. Af- 
ter the delegates of the University were acquainted 
with these circumstances, they requested another 
audience, and on the 13th of April, after the even- 
ing sermon, they presented themselves before the 
reverend assembly. They tried every method to 
induce the presbytery to grant Arminius a dismis- 
sal, and pressed to have a full answer from them. 
They also declared, by Uitenbogaerdt as their organ, 
' that, since they perceived the tergiversation and 
subterfuges of this meeting rested principally upon 
the erroneous suspicions which some persons en- 
tertained of Arminius, the delegates of the Univer- 
sity would instantly desist from urging his call to 
the professors chair, provided the ecclesiastical 
senate would in open terms accuse him of unsound 
doctrine ; that the University was committed to 
their care, and its welfare was far dearer to them 
than any wish that they could indulge for a connex- 
ion with a teacher of impure dogmas ; that, if scru- 
ples still remained in the breast of any one, they 
would faithfully engage that Arminius should not 
be initiated into this office in the University until 
he had given abundant satisfaction to Gomarus, his 
future colleague.' 

" When the presbytery had heard all these things, 
they held another consultation on the subject ; and 
at length, granted their assent to the proposed dis- 
missal, with the following stipulations : ' First. That 
Arminius do not leave Amsterdam, to enter upon his 
new province, until the church of this city have some 
prospect of obtaining another pastor of learning and 
piety, and Baselius, if possible. Secondly. That 
after the proposed conference with Gomarus on 
certain points of Christian doctrine, in the presence 
of the deputies of the churches, Arminius shall, by a 
candid explanation of his sentiments, remove all 
suspicion of heterodoxy. Thirdly. That if circum- 
H2 



90 ERRORS CORRECTED. 

stances hereafter occur to induce Arminius sponta- 
neously to relinquish the situation of professor, or 
if the necessities of the Church of Amsterdam de- 
mand his services, he shall be at full liberty to re- 
sume his ministerial functions.' 

*' This ecclesiastical decree was presented on the 
following day, the 15th of April, to the honourable 
the Burgomasters of Amsterdam, who had previously 
convened the court of aldermen, and consulted them 
on the subject ; and they readily added their assent 
to the decree. When the curators of the University 
were informed of this general acquiescence, they ex- 
pressed their gratitude ; and, having soon afterward 
obtained the personal consent of Arminius, they re- 
turned home with uncommon delight. 

;i All these facts concerning the call of Arminius 
to the professorship we have chosen to relate the 
more diffusely, and with the greater minuteness, be- 
cause much light has been shed on this transaction 
by the manuscript Diary of Uitenbogardt, who was 
not only present as an eye and ear witness through- 
out the affair, but w^as also himself the principal actor 
in it ; and because some writers in the present day 
(1724), in reviewing those scenes, have amassed 
many statements concerning them which far exceed 
all the boundaries of truth : this has arisen in part 
from their gross ignorance of the transactions, and in 
part from bad faitii. In this particular, James Trig- 
landius seems deserving of the greatest share of 
censure : for if this man's testimony respecting the 
frequent and obviously servile and fawning applica- 
tions which Arminius is said to have made to his 
colleagues for the purpose of obtaining his dismissal, 
and respecting the whole course of his life, of which 
he makes mention in the 287th page of his Ecclesi- 
astical History; if this mams testimony deserve to 
be received, then undoubtedly Arminius did many 
things which must be accounted unworthy of an hon- 
ourable and serious teacher in the Church. But we 



ERRORS CORRECTED. 91 

may form some estimate of the infelicitous manner 
in which he has fulfilled the duties of an ingenuous 
historian from this circumstance : that most of those 
things which have the greatest tendency to excite 
enmity against Arminius, and which, in his narrative 
of Arminius's call to the professorship, he pretends 
to have extracted from the very acts of the Presby- 
tery of Amsterdam, are certainly not to be found in 
those acts which were signed that year by the ec- 
clesiastical senate. The acts themselves contain no 
account of that kind, unless we reckon as the authen- 
tic acts a certain rude and unfaithful relation of those 
transactions, which, at a great distance of time (14 
vears afterward), was composed in the year 1617, 
during the most feverish heat of the controversies 
about predestination : Peter Plancius, that unwea- 
ried slanderer of Arminius even after his decease, 
wrote the greatest part of that narrative, to gratify 
Adrian Smout, one of the most bitter adversaries 
which the Remonstrants ever had ; and Peter took 
upon himself the charge of having it then inserted 
in the Acts of the Amsterdam Presbytery. 

" John Rulaeus, not long ago a respectable minister 
in Amsterdam, has made it evident that Triglandius 
had undoubtedly followed in the footsteps of this re- 
viler: and that the account which he has given of 
the life of that great man, and of his call to the pro- 
fessorship, was derived from Plancius's narrative. 
Rulaeus, pressed by the genuine force of truth, was 
compelled to make this confession, in the very pam- 
phlet in which he had endeavoured with sufficient 
acrimony to animadvert upon Arminius, and upon 
his defender, my father, Gerard Brandt, of pious 
memory. The testimonies also of the reverend gen- 
tlemen, Hall, Ursine, and Le Maire, which are cited 
by Triglandius and added to the statement made by 
Plancius, do not seem to militate against Arminius : 
for they relate to the earnest entreaties which he is 
said to have employed, and to the promise which he 



92 ERRORS CORRECTED. 

gave, 'that he would never utter anything in the 
University of Ley den which might be prejudicial to 
the peace of the Church ; and that he would reserve 
to himself his private opinions, and such as were re- 
pugnant to [consensui] the common agreement of the 
Reformed Churches, until the meeting of the next 
national synod.' For, not to mention the little re- 
liance which, it may be supposed, can be placed on 
these private declarations, that were signed, upward 
of seven years after the death of A r mini us, for the 
gratification of the zealot Plancius, Arminius al- 
ways made the very same declaration as that which 
is contained in these testimonies, and deferred the 
full exposition of his sentiments on Divine predesti- 
nation till a general council of the churches should 
be assembled ; but at length, when the altercations 
of several persons about this subject had increased, 
at the command of his superiors, he disclosed all the 
sentiments and scruples of his mind in the assembly 
of the States of Holland. The course of the subse- 
quent narrative will show whether, and how far, Ar- 
minius can with justice and propriety be accounted 
guilty of having violated his promise, and of being 
the leader and author of breaking the peace of the 
Church. The following expressions, which occur 
in a letter addressed to his friend Uitenbogardt on 
the 26th of April, 1603, soon after he had obtained 
his dismissal, display his modesty of mind, and free- 
dom from even the semblance of ambition, in this 
crisis of his affairs : ; One thing alone makes me very 
anxious : how can I satisfy the great expectations 
which have been raised 1 how can I render myself 
deserving to have had such uncommon exertions 
employed in my favour ] But I console myself with 
this single reflection, that I have made no interest 
to gain the professorship ; and that, before the cura- 
tors formed the resolution to call me to this office, 
they were warned about the things which have ac- 
tually happened.' 



CONFERENCE APPOINTED. 93 

" Our author, in the mean time, felt no fear re- 
specting the conference which had been appointed 
between him and Gomarus, but awaited its issue in 
complete tranquillity of spirit. And while his famil- 
iar friends were discussing among themselves the 
different advices which ought to be given about the 
mode of holding this conference, and there were not 
wanting persons who were desirous of using their 
influence with the curators to have this conference 
held in private with Gomarus rather than in the 
presence of the deputies of the churches, Arminius, 
so far from wishing to listen to this counsel, and to 
elude the condition which had been stipulated with 
the people of Amsterdam, adopted the following 
language, in a letter to his friend Uitenbogardt, on 
the 30th of April, 1603 : ' To what suspicions shall I 
not, in that case, be liable 1 I shall not only be sus- 
pected of heresy, but the surmise will be, that I 
entertain such a distrust of my own cause as not to 
have the courage to enter into a conference in the 
presence of the ecclesiastical deputies. I would 
enter into a conference with the whole of the pres- 
bytery, nay, with any two presbyteries, rather than 
give the slightest occasion of my being viewed in 
any other light than that of a man who, using all 
good conscience in everything, will not fear the most 
prolix conference, or even the most rigid examina- 
tion.' 

" This conference was appointed to take place on 
the 6th of May, according to previous stipulation ; 
and it was accordingly commenced on that day, at 
the Hague, in the house of the noble Lord of Nor- 
derwick, in the presence of Arnold Cornelison and 
Werner Helmichius (who attended as the deputies 
of the churches of Holland), and of those very hon- 
ourable and learned individuals, N. Kromhout, R. 
Hogeibeets, and J. Uitenbogardt, whom the curators 
of the University had specially invited to honour the 
proceedings with their company. 



94 GOMARUS COMPLAINS. 

" Gomanis commenced the business by express- 
ing his surprise and regret at not perceiving among 
the company any deputies from the Church of Am- 
sterdam, though the noble curators had, by a most 
polite letter addressed to the ecclesiastical senate of 
that city, requested that some one in their name 
should be present at this meeting. He did not con- 
ceive the absence of those on whose account prin- 
cipally he had come to the Hague was a ' proper 
course of conduct.' He also affirmed, ' that he had 
little acquaintance with the discourses and doctrines 
of Arminius ; that the greatest part of the scruples 
concerning that divine had been circulated by the 
pastors of Amsterdam ; and that they ought, there- 
fore, to have instructed and informed him about the 
mode and matter of this conference.' But when the 
curators had briefly explained to him the principal 
purpose of that meeting, he declared ' that, although 
he should prefer not to have had this province im- 
posed on him, yet he thought this was due to the 
cause of Truth — that, at the request of the brethren, 
he might perform the duties of an advocate, with 
which he had been invested.' 

" Arminius, on the other hand, testified the ex- 
treme pleasure which he felt on beholding the most 
delightful and long-desired opportunity, which was 
then offered to him, of vindicating his innocence and 
reputation. An agreement having afterward been 
made respecting the order and the particulars of the 
matters to be discussed, he thought this instruction 
ought to have the precedence of all others : ' That 
not every difference about religion has regard to 
[substantia™] the fundamentals of faith ; and that 
those who differ on some points, provided they pre- 
serve the foundation entire, ought to be tolerated.' 
For the confirmation of this sentiment, he immedi- 
ately quoted a remarkable passage from St. Augus- 
tine. But when he wished to produce more senti- 
ments to the same effect from the writings both of an- 



ARM1NIUS REPLIES. 95 

cient and modern divines, he was interrupted by Go- 
marus, who thought such a course unnecessary, and 
1 that the sole object of their inquiry must be, wheth- 
er those controverted points upon which theywere 
about to treat ought to be considered as essentials 
or not.' Gomarus maintained that they were es- 
sentials ; and after Arminius had declared that they 
were not, he added a farther confirmation of his own 
opinion. 

" But, that they might not come immediately to 
close combat, Gomarus began to attack Arminius's 
sentiments on the seventh chapter of the Epistle to 
the Romans. He declared and maintained that it 
was at variance with the Heidelberg Catechism ; 
and not only quoted certain passages out of that 
pamphlet, but likewise brought forward to his as- 
sistance some of the marginal notes which it con- 
tains. 

" Arminius, on the contrary, refuted the argu- 
ments of his adversary, and ably defended his own 
interpretation from the exceptions which had been 
taken against it. He likewise maintained that this 
clause in the Catechism, 'unless we be regenera- 
ted by the Holy Spirit' (which was urged against 
him), must be explained as referring to the begin- 
ning of regeneration. He declared, besides, ' that 
he totally rejected and detested the opinions deliv- 
ered by the Pelagians on this topic ; that he ap- 
proved of those things which had been advanced by 
St. Augustine, and other fathers of the primitive 
Church, against Pelagius and his followers ; that he 
gave his complete assent to the Catechism ; that he 
by no means interpreted this passage of St. Paul 
(Rom., vii.) as applicable to a man entirely unre- 
generate ; that there was the greatest possible dis- 
crepancy between his opinion on this subject and 
that of Prosper Desidaeus (Faustus Socinus) ; and 
that he had never afforded any just cause to the great 
debates which were formerly excited [in Amster- 
dam] about this matter ' 



96 GOMARUS SATISFIED. 

" After having heard this defence, and considered 
that Arminius denied man}' things, and held senti- 
ments on these controverted articles far different 
from those which he had understood from flie rela- 
tion of others, Gomarus ingenuously declared ' that 
he had to that hour always thought that Arminius 
maintained the opinions of Prosper Desidaeus. but 
then he perceived that, after a comparison on this 
subject, they were far different ; and therefore, since 
he had not apprehended with sufficient clearness the 
whole of his mind about this matter, he entreated 
Arminius to grant him the favour of disclosing his 
thoughts upon it with a little more minuteness and 
accuracy.' 

" But that honourable man, Neostadius, one of the 
curators of the University, expressed his surprise at 
this request, and intimated that it was incumbent on 
those at whose desire Gomarus had taken this prov 
ince upon himself to have imparted to him bettet 
information respecting the sentiments of Arminius 
and that it was ihe duty of himself [Gomarus], and 
of those whom he represented (and certainly not the 
duty of Arminius, who stood in the place of an ac- 
cused person, or defendant), to produce such things 
as might make for his accusation.' Arminius coin- 
cided with this remark, and added, 'that he would 
say nothing until Gomarus and the other deputies 
of the churches had absolved him from the calum- 
nies with which he had been assailed.' After the 
curators had given their sanction to this resolution, 
Gomarus at last declared ' that, since Arminius dis- 
avowed Pelagianism, he felt himself satisfied, and 
that his interpretation [of Romans, vii ], such as it 
was. might be tolerated.' 

" When the deputies of the churches had made a 
declaration nearly similar, Arminius immediately 
took out of his pocket a copy of the New Testa- 
ment, which he always carried about with him, read 
the whole of the seventh chapter of the Epistle to 



DIFFICULTIES ADJUSTED. 97 

the Romans from the beginning to the end, and ex- 
pounded it in such a felicitous manner, that no one, 
not even Go mams himself, could say anything 
against it. A single objection was raised by Ar- 
nold Cornelison alone, but as soon as he heard the 
solution of it he was silent. 

" After hearing these things, Neostadius, turning 
round to the deputies of the churches said, 'And 
is this the wonderful controversy which has been 
so frequently repeated, and which for several years 
past has excited such great commotions and clam- 
our 1 In a short space of time we have composed 
this dispute, for the termination of which the peo- 
ple of Amsterdam did not consider many years to 
be sufficient.' 

" This principal controversy, therefore, having 
been dismissed, the next discussion which arose, and 
that only incidentally, was Concerning the Church of 
Rome, and On the Determination of the Human Will by 
the Divine Decree, and on other points of this de- 
scription, respecting which it had been whispered 
by some persons that Arminius held sentiments dif- 
ferent from those of the Reformed. But his answer 
to each objection was singularly learned and solid; 
and he explained and confirmed the opinions which 
he entertained on these and other doctrines iu such 
a happy manner, that Gomarus and the rest of the 
deputies of the churches accounted it unnecessary 
to contend about ihem any longer. But, that he 
might totally eradicate all scruples out of their 
minds, he drew out of his bosom, with the same con- 
fidence of heart as that which he possessed when 
he entered into this conference, and offered to each 
of them for examination, his Dissertation on the gen- 
uine Sense of the Seventh Chapter of the Epistle to the 
Romans, which he had some time previously com- 
mitted to writing, having finished it with exquisite 
care and learning. 



93 TESTIMONIES. 

" When no one took this manuscript from the ta- 
ble, and after he had asked whether the brethren re- 
quired anything more from him, to which no answer 
was returned, this conference was terminated with 
such good success, that all the parties present, with- 
out one exception, gave him the right hand of broth- 
erly love, and conducted him to an entertainment, 
which, by order of the curators of the University, 
had been prepared in the Castile Inn at the Hague." 

That nothing might be wanting to establish his 
good character, and of his entire competency to dis- 
charge the high duties of the professorship, the fol- 
lowing testimonials were furnished him : 

" THE TESTIMONY OF THE CHURCH OF AMSTERDAM. 

" Since, in the social intercourse of mankind, a 
consideration of equity alone has long since requi- 
red it to be established as a law, that they who had 
on any account deserved well of the commonwealth, 
should be accounted worthy of singularly eminent 
commendation, and honourable testimonials to the 
truth ; more abundantly worthy of such an honour 
are those persons who labour in God's Word, and 
who, with remarkable success, and to their singular 
praise, have, during many years, discharged the du- 
ties of the sacred ministry of the Gospel in the 
Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore, as 
James Arminius, Doctor of Divinity, our reverend 
brother in the Lord, has now required such a testi- 
monial from us, we think that it ought by no means 
to be refused. 

14 By these presents, therefore, we desire to testi- 
fy to all and every one, that the high integrity of 
the above-named most accomplished man, and great- 
ly beloved fellow-steward with us of the mysteries 
of God (both in regard to the innocency of his life, 
the soundness of his doctrine, and the propriety of 
his manners), has by means of an uninterrupted ac- 



TESTIMONIES. 99 

quaintance and constant intercourse been so fully 
known, tried, and confirmed by us, as to cause us to 
account nothing dearer to us, or of greater value, 
than always to enjoy the benefit of his counsel, aid, 
conversation, and intimacy, and to be permitted to 
cultivate that friendship which has now for a long 
period subsisted between us. But, since it has 
pleased Almighty God otherwise to dispose of him 
and us, it is a circumstance on account of which we 
yield great and unfeigned thanks to the Lord our 
God for his marvellous kindness hitherto manifest- 
ed towards us and the whole of this our Church, and 
which has afforded us the opportunity to behold such 
fruits as are not to be lamented, and with the great- 
est pleasure to perceive the success which has ac- 
crued from the study and labours of this the before- 
named gentleman and fellow-labourer in the vine- 
yard of Christ, who is most ardently beloved by all 
of us ; which labours he unweariedly and most 
cheerfully sustained, in company with us, among 
the people of our charge. All of us confess, with a 
very willing mind, that there is nothing which is 
not due from us to this our much-beloved brother in 
the Lord, for the exertion of his powers in common 
with our own in the Lord, for the cheerfulness with 
which he sedulously undertook the maintenance of 
equal portions of the pastoral office, in conjunction 
with ourselves, and for the very ready communica- 
tion of his counsel to us on all occasions. Where- 
fore, since his piety, consummate probity, and rare 
erudition seem in their own right to claim such a 
token of approbation from us ; and that we may 
briefly compress into a single sentence all that we 
desire to say, we commend to all men of piety, 
honour, and learning, this most respectable gentle- 
man, and most venerable brother in Christ ; and it 
is not possible for us to frame any recommendation 
with greater affection and favour, or more heartily 



100 TESTIMONIES. 

than we do this. Given in our presbytery at Am- 
sterdam, the 8th day of September, 1603. 
" Signed in the name of the whole Church, 

" John Ursinus, Minister of God's Word, and Pres- 
ident of the Council. 
" John Hallius, Minister at Amsterdam. 
" John Halsbergius, Pastor of the same Church." 

The general class of that city also presented him 
with letters of recommendation in the following 
form : 

"THE TESTIMONY OF THE AMSTERDAM CLASS. 

" To all and to every one who may read or hear 
these presents, our testimonials, salvation and 
peace through Christ, our only Mediator. 
" Since that most accomplished and very learned 
man, James Arminius, has been called out (by the 
illustrious and most celebrated for their learning, 
their lordships the curators of the University of 
Leyden) from the holy ministry (the functions of 
which he has now for many years discharged with 
the highest reputation in the Church of Amsterdam) 
to the high office of Professor of Divinity, into 
which he has been publicly installed, we have been 
desirous, on his departure, to commend him, by our 
present document (although it is very brief), to the 
same illustrious persons, and to all men of probity, 
and, as is the practice, to dignify and honour him 
with these our testimonials. 

" We, therefore, the servants of Jesus Christ, 
with the elders of the same Amsterdam Class, do 
testify that the before-mentioned Dr. Arminius has 
now been upward of fifteen years a member of our 
Class, during which period he has purely taught 
sound doctrine with much profit ; administered the 
sacraments according to our Lord's institution; 
with exemplary zeal has propagated the true and 
Christian religion ; by his diligent attendance has 



TESTIMONIES. 101 

constantly honoured the meetings of the class ; by 
his prudent counsel has adjusted and settled with 
others affairs of the greatest difficulty, and of the 
utmost importance; has at all times promptly sus- 
tained all the burdens imposed on him that had a 
reference to the edification of the churches ; and 
has to this day adorned his holy calling by the prob- 
ity and the honourable and virtuous tenour of his 
life. In short, he has conducted himself in such a 
manner as it becomes every true servant of Christ 
to do, both in the discharge of his sacred functions 
and in his conversation and behaviour towards all 
men ; so that we here present him with these most 
cordial expressions of our immortal thanks for his 
kindness towards us, and for the courtesy and po- 
liteness which he has manifested towards each of 
us. 

" We ask and require it, therefore, of all and every 
one, of what rank soever they may severally be, 
that they account, acknowledge, embrace, and cher- 
ish the before-named Doctor James Arminius as a 
person answering to the description which we have 
here given ; that they likewise honour him in such 
a manner as his merits demand, and especially on 
account of the transcendent and luminous endow- 
ments of his genius, and the rare and singular gifts 
which he possesses ; and that, to the extent of their 
ability, they aid him in his holy attempts for the glo- 
ry of God's name, and the edification of the Univer- 
sity and the Church. To this end, we, his col- 
leagues and fellow-servants, all most heartily unite 
in supplicating for him the manifold grace of the 
Holy Spirit. 

" Amsterdam, from the meeting of our Class, the 
1st day of September, 1603. 

" Signed, in the name of the class, 

" John Halsbergius, President of the Class. 
" John Hallius, Minister at Amsterdam, and Sec- 
retary to the Class" 
12 



102 INAUGURAL ORATION. 

The following account of the ceremony of his re- 
ception, and of the manner of his receiving the de- 
gree of Doctor of Divinity, will doubtless be inter- 
esting to the reader, as it will exhibit the usages 
prevalent at that time on such occasions, and like- 
wise give him an accurate view of the sentiments 
of Arminius on an important point of Christian doc- 
trine : 

" This charming oration was delivered by Armin- 
ius on the eleventh of July, 1603, the day on which 
the dignity of Doctor of Divinity was publicly con- 
ferred on him, and immediately prior to the act of 
creation. At the close of the oration will be found 
a beautiful form of prayer and thanksgiving which 
Arminius addressed to God, after receiving at the 
hands of Dr. Francis Gomarus the requisite literary 
honours. He also briefly returned thanks to Go- 
marus and the various orders of spectators, who 
were exceedingly numerous on that interesting oc- 
casion, not only on account of the just celebrity of 
the professor elect, but because his was the first 
doctors degree which had been granted by the new 
Dutch University. 

" As a preparatory exercise, he had, on the prece- 
ding day, maintained a public disputation on the 
nature of God. The substance of his profound and 
elaborate theses on that subject was afterward pub- 
lished, and stands in a subsequent part of this work, 
as the fourth of his public lectures. His opponents 
were Bertius, Hommius, Crucius, and Grevincho- 
vius, all of them celebrated for their great skill in 
scholastic learning. According to the duty which 
devolves on all opponents in the schools, these 
learned men produced in a formal manner every ob- 
jection to the positions of Arminius which they 
could devise ; but he, with the utmost skill and in- 
genuity, answered the whole of their arguments, 
and, to the unbounded gratification of his auditory, 



INAUGURAL ORATION. 103 

proved himself a complete master of the art of rea- 
soning, and eminently qualified to engage in the in- 
struction of others. On inspecting the fourth lec- 
ture, those who are acquainted with the forms of 
scholastic disputation will perceive the arduous na- 
ture of such an undertaking before an assembly of 
the greatest and most learned men in Holland. 
Some adequate conception of the difficulty of this 
task will likewise be formed, by those who are not 
personally familiar Avith the usages of the Schools, 
when they are informed that all replies to o I vjections 
must be impromptu, and managed syllogistically ; 
that the respondent knows nothing of the objections 
of his opponents till they are actually propounded 
in public, when the tact of his talent discovers it- 
self in furnishing a ready and appropriate answer to 
each of them as they arise ; and that this disputa- 
tion occupied several hours both in the morning and 
the afternoon. At the conclusion, Arminius receiv- 
ed the applauses of his enlightened audience for the 
consummate ability which he had displayed. A 
few weeks afterward, Arminius entered on the du- 
ties of his professorship, in the execution of which 
he fully realized those high expectations that had 
been excited by the auspicious specimen which he 
then gave of his scholastic attainments. 

u On the nineteenth of June, three weeks prior to 
this public ceremony, Arminius had gone from Am- 
sterdam to Ley den, and had subjected himself to a 
private examination; it being usual for all those 
who lay claim to a doctor's degree, or any other 
literary distinction, to demonstrate to accredited 
persons in private that they possess the requisite 
qualifications, before they are permitted to tender 
similar unequivocal demonstrations in public. In $ 
letter which he addressed to his bosom friend Uiten- 
bogardt, two days afterward, Arminius gives the 
following account of this preparatory examination: 
' On Tuesday last I was examined by Gomarus, in 



104 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

the presence of the honourable Grotius and Merula. 
He performed his duty with great diligence and 
fairness. I returned as good extempore answers 
to his questions as I was able. I gave complete 
satisfaction to him, as well as to the two gentlemen 
who were present. His interrogatories consisted 
of those particulars which have a reference to the 
substance of theology ; and he conducted himself 
through the whole in such a manner as was highly 
becoming in him, and as well as I could possibly 
have desired.' Such was the creditable and frank 
testimony which this good man bore to the conduct 
of a divine who had very recently opposed his call 
to the professorship, and had united with others in 
an attempt to rob him of his good name and his 
character. 

" The noble the lord- rector — the very famous, 
reverend, skilful, intelligent, and learned men, who 
are the fathers of this most celebrated university — 
the rest of you, most worthy strangers of every de- 
gree — and you, most noble and studious young men, 
who are the nursery of the Republic and the Church, 
and who are increasing every day in bloom and 
vigour : 

" If there be any order of men in whom it is ut- 
terly unbecoming to aspire after the honours of this 
world, especially after those honours which are ac- 
companied by pomp and applause, that, without 
doubt, is the order ecclesiastical — a body of men 
who ought to be entirely occcupied with a zeal for 
God, and for the attainment of that glory which is 
at his disposal. Yet since, according to the lauda- 
ble institutions of our ancestors, the usage has ob- 
tained, in all well-regulated universities, to admit no 
man to the office of instructer in them who has not 
previously signalized himself by some public and 
solemn testimony of probity and scientific ability — 
this sacred order of men have not refused a com- 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 105 

pliance with such public modes of decision, provi- 
ded they be conducted in a way that is holy, deco- 
rous, and according to godliness. So far, indeed, are 
those who have been set apart to the pastoral officB 
from being averse to public proceedings of this 
kind, that they exceedingly covet and desire them 
alone, because they conceive them to be of the first 
necessity to the Church of Christ : for they are 
mindful of this apostolical charge, ' Lay hands sud- 
denly on no man' (1 Tim., v., 22) ; and of the other, 
which directs that a bishop and a teacher of the 
Church be ' apt to teach, holding fast the faithful 
word as he hath been taught, that he may be able, 
by sound doctrine, both to exhort and to convince 
the gainsay ers' (Titus, i., 9), I do not, there fore^ 
suppose one person in this numerous assembly can 
be so ignorant of the public ceremonies of this uni- 
versity, or can hold them in such little estimation, 
as either to evince surprise at the undertaking in 
which we are now engaged, or wish to give it an 
unfavourable interpretation. But since it has al- 
ways been a part of the custom of our ancestors, in 
academic festivities of this description, to choose 
some subject of discourse, the investigation of 
which, in the fear of the Lord, might promote the 
Divine glory and the profit of the hearers, and might 
excite them to pious and importunate supplication, 
I also can perceive no cause why I ought not con- 
scientiously to comply with this custom. And al- 
though at the sight of this very respectable, numer- 
ous, and learned assembly, 1 feel strongly affected 
with a sense of my defective eloquence, and tremble 
not a little, yet I have selected a certain theme for 
my discourse which agrees well with my profes- 
sion, and is full of grandeur, sublimity, and adorable 
majesty. In making choice of it, I have not been 
overawed by the edict of Horace, which says, 

Sumite materiam vestris, qui scribitis cequam, fyc. 



106 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

* Select, all ye who write, a subject fit, 
A subject nut too mighty for your wit ! 
And ere you lay your shoulders to the wheel, 
Weigh well their strength, and ail their weakness feel \ y 

For this declaration is not applicable in the least to 
theological subjects, all of which, by their dignity 
and importance, exceed the capacity and mental en- 
ergy of every human being, and of angels them- 
selves. A view of them so affected the Apostle 
Paul (who, rapt into the third heaven, had heard 
words ineffable), that they compelled him to break 
forth into this exclamation : ' Who is sufficient for 
these things!' (2 Cor., ii., 16). If, therefore, I be 
not permitted to disregard the provisions of this 
Horatian statute, I must either transgress the bound- 
aries of my profession, or be content to remain si- 
lent. But I am permitted to disregard the terms of 
this statute ; and to do so is perfectly lawful. 

" For whatever things tend to the glory of God 
and to the salvation of men, ought to be celebrated 
in a devout spirit in the congregations of the saints, 
and to be proclaimed with a grateful voice. I there- 
fore propose to speak on the priesthood of Christ. 
Not because I have persuaded myself of my capa- 
bility to declare anything concerning it which is 
demanded either by the dignity of my subject, or by 
the respectability of this numerous assembly ; for 
it will be quite sufficient, and I shall consider that I 
have abundantly discharged my duty, if, according 
to the necessity of the case, I shall utter something 
that will contribute to the general edification. But 
I choose this theme that 1 may obtain in behalf of 
my oration such grace and favour from the excel- 
lence of its matter as I cannot possibly confer on 
it by any eloquence in the mode of my address. 
Since, however, it is impossible for us either to form 
in our minds just and holy conceptions about such 
a sublime mystery, or to give utterance to them with 
our lips, unless the power of God influence our 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 107 

mental faculties and our tongues, let us by prayer 
and supplication implore his present aid, in the name 
of Jesus Christ, our great High-Priest. 

w ' Do thou, therefore, holy and merciful God, 
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the fountain of 
ail grace and truth, vouchsafe to grant thy favour- 
able presence to us, who are a great congregation 
assembled together in thy holy name. Sprinkle 
thou our spirits, souls, and bodies with the most 
gracious dew of thy immeasurable holiness, that the 
converse of thy saints with each other may be 
pleasing to thee. Assist us by the grace of thy 
Holy Spirit, who may yet more and more illuminate 
our minds — imbued with the true knowledge of 
thyself and thy Son ; may He also inflame our 
hearts with a sincere zeal for thy glory ; may He 
open my mouth and guide my tongue, that I may 
be enabled to declare concerning the priesthood of 
thy Son those things which are true, and just, and 
holy, to the glory of thy name, and to the gathering 
of ail of us together in the Lord. Amen.' 

" Having now in an appropriate manner offered 
up those vows which well become the commence- 
ment of our undertaking, we will, by the help of 
God, proceed to the subject proposed, after I have 
entreated all of you who have been pleased to grace 
this solemn act of ours with your noble, learned, 
and most gratifying presence, to give me that undi- 
vided attention which the subject deserves, while I 
speak on a matter of the most serious importance, 
and, according to your accustomed kindness, to 
show me that favour and benevolence which are to 
me of the greatest necessity. That I may not abuse 
your patience, I engage to consult brevity as much 
as our theme will allow. But the priesthood is to 
be deduced from the very origin of the office, that 
from thence the discourse may appropriately be 
brought down to the priesthood of Christ, on which 
we profess to treat. 



108 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

First. The first of those relations which subsist 
between God and men has respect to something 
given and something- received. The latter requires 
another relation supplementary to itself — a relation 
which, taking its commencement from men, may 
terminate in God ; and that is, an acknowledgment 
of a benefit received, to the honour of the munificent 
Donor. It is also a debt due on account of a benefit 
already conferred, but which is not to be paid ex- 
cept on the demand and according to the regulation 
of the Giver ; whose intention it has always been, 
that the will of a creature should not be the measure 
of his honour. His benignity, likewise, is so im- 
mense, that he never requires from those who are 
Under obligations to him the grateful acknowledg- 
ment of the benefit communicated in the first in- 
stance, except when he has bound them to himself 
by the larger and far superior benefit of a mutual 
covenant. But the extreme trait in that goodness 
is, that he has bound himself to bestow on the same 
persons favours of yet greater excellence by infinite 
degrees. This is the order which he adopts : he 
wishes himself first to be engaged to them, before 
they are considered to be engaged to him. For 
every covenant that is concluded between God am' 
men consists of two parts: (1.) The preceding 
promise of God, by which he obliges himself to 
some duty, and to acts correspondent with that duty: 
and (2.) The subsequent definition and appointment 
of the duty, which, it is stipulated, shall in return be 
required of men, and according to which a mutual 
corresponlence subsists between men and God. He 
promises that he will be to them a king and a God, 
and that he will discharge towards them all the 
offices of a good king; while he stipulates, as a 
counter obligation, that they become his people ; that 
in this relation they live according to his commands ; 
and that they ask and expect all blessings from his 
podness. These two acts [a life according to his 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. I09 1 

commands, and an expectation of all blessings from 
his goodness] comprise the duty of men towards 
God, according to the covenant into which he first 
entered with them. 

" On the whole, therefore, the duties of two func- 
tions are to be performed between God and men 
who have entered into covenant with him : First, 
A regal one, which is of supreme authority : Sec- 
ondly, A religious one, of devoted submission. 

" (1.) The use of the former is in the communica- 
tion of every needful good, in the averting of evils, 
and in the imposing of laws or the act of legislation. 
Under it we likewise comprehend the gift of proph- 
ecy, which is nothing more than the annunciation 
of the royal pleasure, whether it be communicated 
by God himself, or by some one of his deputies or 
ambassadors, as a kind of internuncio to the cove- 
nant. That no one may think the prophetic office, 
of which the Scriptures make such frequent men- 
tion, is a matter of little solicitude to us, we assign 
it the place of a substitute under the Chief Archi- 
tect. 

" (2.) But the farther consideration of the regal duty 
being at present omitted, we will proceed to a near- 
er inspection of that which is religious. We have 
already deduced its origin from the act of cove- 
nanting; we have propounded it, in the exercise of 
the regal office, as something that is due ; and we 
place its proper action in thanksgiving and entreaty. 
This action is required to be religiously performed, 
according to their common vocation, by every one 
of the great body of those who are in covenant ; 
and to this end they have been sanctified by the 
word of the covenant, and have all been constituted 
priests to God, that they might offer gifts and prayers 
to the Most High. But, since God loves order, He, 
who is himself the only instance of order in its per- 
fection, willed that, out of the number of those who 
were sanctified, some one should in a peculiar man- 
K 



110 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

Tier be separated to him . that he who was thus set 
apart should, by a special and extraordinary voca- 
tion, be qualified for the office of the priesthood : and 
that, approaching more intimately and with greater 
freedom to the throne of God, he should, in the place 
of his associates in the same covenant and religion, 
take the charge and management of whatever affairs 
were to be transacted before God on their account. 
" From this circumstance is to be traced the exist- 
ence of the office of the priesthood, the duties of 
which were to be discharged before God in behalf 
of others — an office undoubtedly of vast dignity, and 
of special honour among mankind. Although the 
priest must be taken from among men, and must be 
appointed in their behalf, yet it does not appertain 
to men themselves to designate whom they will to 
sustain that office ; neither docs it belong to any one 
to arrogate that honour to himself. But as the 
office itself is an act of the Divine pleasure, so like- 
wise the choice of the person who must discharge 
its duties rests with God himself; and it was his 
will that the office should be fulfilled by him who, 
for some just reason, held precedence among his 
kindred by consanguinity. This was the father and 
master of the family, and his successor was the 
first-born. We have examples of this in the holy 
patriarchs, both before and after the deluge. We 
behold this expressly in Noah, Abraham, and Job. 
There are also those (not occupying the lowest seats 
in judgment) who say that Cain and Abel brought 
their sacrifices to Adam their father, that he might 
offer them to the Lord ; and they derive this opinion 
from the word son used in the same passage. 
Though these examples are selected from the de- 
scription of that period when sin had made its en- 
trance into the world, yet a confirmation of their 
truth is obtained in this primitive institution of the 
human race, of which we are now treating. For it 
is peculiar to that period, that all the duties of the 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. Ill 

priesthood were confined within the act of offering 
only an eucharistic sacrifice and supplications. Hav- 
ing, therefore, in due form executed these functions, 
the priest, in the name of his compeers, was by the 
appeased Deity admitted to a familiar intercourse 
with Him, and obtained from Him a charge to exe- 
cute among his kindred, in the name of God himself, 
and as 4 the messenger [or angel] of the Lord of 
Hosts.' For the Lord revealed to him the Divine 
will and pleasure ; that, on returning from his inter- 
course with God, he might declare it to the people. 
This will of God consisted of two parts : (1.) That 
which he required to be performed by his covenant 
people ; and (2.) That which it was his wish to per- 
form for their benefit. In this charge, which was 
committed to the priest, to be executed by him, the 
administration of prophecy was also included; on 
which account it is said, ' They should seek the 
law at the mouth of the priest, for he is the mes- 
senger of the Lord of Hosts/ — (Mai., ii., 7.) And 
since that second part of the Divine will was to be 
proclaimed from an assured trust and confidence in 
the truth of the Divine promises, and with a holy 
and affectionate feeling towards his own species — 
in that view he was invested with a commission to 
dispense benedictions. In this manner, discharging 
the duties of a double embassy (that of men to God, 
and that of God to men), he acted on both sides the 
part of a Mediator of the covenant into which the 
parties had mutually entered. Nevertheless, not 
content with having conferred this honour on him 
whom he had sanctified, our God all-bountiful eleva- 
ted him likewise to the delegated or vicarious dig- 
nity of the regal office, that he, bearing the image of 
God among his brethren, might then be able to ad- 
minister justice to them in His name, and might 
manage for their common benefit those affairs with 
which he was intrusted. 
" From this source arose what may be considered 



112 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

the native union of the priestly and the kingly offi- 
ces, which also obtained among the holy patriarchs 
after the entrance of sin, and of which express men- 
tion is made in the person of Melchizedec. This 
was signified in a general manner by the Patriarch 
Jacob, when he declared Reuben, his first-born son, to 
be 4 the excellency of dignity and the excellency of 
power,' which were his due on account of the right 
of primogeniture. For certain reasons, however, 
the kingly functions were afterward separated from 
the priestly, by the will of God, who, dividing them 
into two parts among his people the children of Is- 
rael, transferred the monarchy to Judah, and the 
priesthood to Levi. 

" But it w^as proper that this approach to God, 
through the oblation of an eucharistic sacrifice and 
prayers, should be made with a pure mind, holy af- 
fections, and with hands, as well as the other mem- 
bers of the body, free from defilement. This was 
required even before the first transgression. ' Sanc- 
tify yourselves, and be ye holy ; for I the Lord your 
God am holy.' — (Lev., xix., i., &c.) * God heareth 
not sinners.' — (John, ix., 31.) ' Bring no more vain 
oblations, for your hands are full of blood.' — (Isa., 
i., 15.) The will of God respecting this is constant 
and perpetual. But Adam, who was the first man 
and the first priest, did not long administer his of- 
fice in a becoming manner : for, refusing to obey 
God, he tasted the fruit of the forbidden tree ; and 
by that foul crime of disobedience and revolt he at 
once defiled his soul, which had been sanctified to 
God, and his body. By this wicked deed he both 
lost all right to the priesthood, and was, in reality, 
deprived of it by the Divine sentence, which was 
clearly signified by his expulsion from paradise, 
where he had appeared before God in that which 
was a type of His own dwelling-place. This was 
in accordance with the invariable rule of Divine 
justice : ' Be it far from me [that thou shouldst any 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 113 

longer discharge before me the duties of the priest- 
hood] : for them that honour me, I will honour ; and 
they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed.' — 
(1 Sam., ii., 30.) But he did not fall alone : all 
whose persons he at that time represented, and 
whose cause he pleaded (although they had not then 
come into existence), were with him cast down 
from the elevated summit of such a high dignity. 
Neither did they fall from the priesthood only, but 
likewise from the covenant, of which the priest was 
both the Mediator and the Internuncio ; and God 
ceased to be the King and God of men, and men 
were no longer recognised as his people. The ex- 
istence of the priesthood itself was at an end ; for 
there was no one capable of fulfilling its duties ac- 
cording to the design of that covenant. The eu- 
charistic sacrifice, the invocation of the name of 
God, and the gracious communication between God 
and men, all ceased together. 

"Most miserable, and deserving of the deepest 
commiseration, was the condition of mankind in 
that state of their affairs, if this declaration be a 
true one, ' Happy is the people whose God is the 
Lord !' — (Psalm cxliv., 15.) And this inevitable 
misery would have rested upon Adam and his race 
forever, had not Jehovah, full of mercy and com- 
miseration, deigned to receive them into favour, 
and resolved to enter into another covenant with 
the same parties ; not according to that which they 
had transgressed, and which was then become obso- 
lete and had been abolished, but into a new cove- 
nant of grace. But the Divine justice and truth 
could not permit this to be done except through 
the agency of an umpire and a surety who might 
undertake the part of a mediator between the of- 
fended God and sinners. Such a mediator could 
not then approach to God with a eucharistic sacri- 
fice for benefits conferred upon the human race, or 
with prayers which might entreat only for a contin- 
K2 



114 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

nance and an increase of them. But he had to ap- 
proach into the Divine presence to offer sacrifice 
for the act of hostility which they had committed 
against God by transgressing his commandment, 
and to offer prayers for obtaining the remission of 
their transgressions. Hence arose the necessity of 
an expiatory sacrifice ; and on that account a new 
priesthood was to be instituted, by the operation of 
which the sin that had been committed might be ex- 
piated, and access to the throne of God's grace 
might be granted to man, though a sinner : this is 
the priesthood which belongs to our Christ [the 
Anointed One] alone. 

81 But God, who is the Supremely Wise Disposer 
of times and seasons, would not permit the dis- 
charge of the functions appertaining to this priest- 
hood to commence immediately after the formation 
of the world and the introduction of sin. It was his 
pleasure that the necessity of it should be first cor- 
rectly understood and appreciated, by a conviction 
on men's consciences of the multitude, heinousness, 
and aggravated nature of their sins. It was also 
his will that the minds of men should be affected 
with a serious and earnest desire for it, yet so that 
they might, in the mean time, be supported against 
despair, arising from a consciousness of their sins, 
which could not be removed except by means of 
that Divine priesthood, the future commencement 
of which inspired them with hope and confidence. 
All these purposes God effected by the temporary 
institution of that typical priesthood, the duties of 
which infirm and sinful men ' after the law of a car- 
nal commandment' could perform, by the immola- 
tion of beasts sanctified for that service ; which 
priesthood was at first established in different parts 
of the world, and afterward among the Israelites, 
who were especially elected to be a sacerdotal na- 
tion. When the blood of beasts was shed, which 
.contained the life of them (Lev., xvii., 14), the peo- 



I 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 115 



pie contemplated in the death of the animals their 
own demerits ; for the beasts had not sinned that 
they, by death, should be punished as victims for 
transgression. After investigating this subject with 
greater diiigence, and deliberately weighing it in 
the equal balances of their judgment, they plainly 
perceived and understood that their sins could not 
possibly be expiated by tliose sacrifices, which were 
of a species different from their own, and more des- 
picable and mean than human beings. From these 
premises they must of necessity have concluded 
that, notwithstanding they offered those animals, 
they in such an act delivered to God nothing less 
than their own bond, sealing it in his presence with 
an acknowledgment of their personal sins, and con- 
fessing the debt which they had incurred. Yet, be- 
cause these sacrifices were of Divine institution, 
and because God received them at the hands of men 
as incense whose odour was fragrant and agreeable, 
from these circumstances the offenders conceived 
the hope of obtaining favour and pardon, reasoning 
thus within themselves, as did Samson's mother : 
4 If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not 
have received a burnt-offering and a meat-ofiering 
at our hands.' — (Judges, xiii., -23.) With such a hope 
they strengthened their spirits, that were ready to 
faint, and, confiding in the Divine promise, they ex- 
pected in all the ardour of desire the dispensation 
of a priesthood which was prefigured under the typ- 
ical one : ' Searching what, or what manner of 
time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them did 
signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings, 
of Christ, and the glory that should follow.' — (1 Pet., 
i., 11.) But, since the mind pants after the very 
delightful consideration of this priesthood, our ora 
tion hastens towards it ; and, having some regard 
to the lateness of the hour, and wishing not to en- 
croach on your comfort, we shall omit any farthei 



116 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

allusion to that branch of the priesthood which has 
hitherto occupied our attention. 

" Secondly. In discoursing on the priesthood of 
Christ, we will confine our observations to three 
points ; and, on condition that you receive the suc- 
ceeding part of my oration with that kindness and 
attention which you have hitherto manifested, and 
which I still hope and desire to receive, we will de- 
scribe, First, The imposing of the office. Second- 
ly, Its execution and administration. And, Thirdly, 
The fruits of the office thus administered, and 
the utility which we derive from it. 

" I. In respect to the imposing of the office, the 
subject itself presents us with three topics to be 
discussed in order. (1.) The person who imposes it. 
(2.) The person on whom it is imposed, or to whom it is 
intrusted. And (3.) The mariner of his appointment, 
and of his undertaking this charge. 

" 1. The person imposing it is God, the Father of 
our Lord Jesus Christ. Since this act of imposing 
belongs to the economy and dispensation of our sal- 
vation, the persons who are comprised under this 
one Divine Monarchy are to be distinctly consider- 
ed according to the rule of the Scriptures, which 
ought to have the precedence in this inquiry, and 
according to the rules and guidance of the orthodox 
fathers that agree with those Scriptures. It is Je- 
hovah who imposes this office, and who, while the 
princes of darkness fret themselves and rage in vain, 
says to his Messiah, 'Thou art my Son; this day 
have I begotien thee. Ask of me, and I shall give 
thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the ut- 
termost parts of the earth for thy possession.' — 
(Psalm ii., 8.) He it is who, when he commanded 
Messiah to sit at his right hand, repeated his holy 
and revered word with an oath, saying, ' Thou 
art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedec.' 
— (Psalm ex., 4.) This is He who imposes the of- 
fice, and that by a right the most just and deserved. 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 117 

For 'with him we have to do, who, dwelling in the 
light unto which no man can approach,' remains 
continually in the seat of his Majesty. He pre- 
serves his own authority safe and unimpaired to 
himself, ' without any abasement or lessening of his 
person,' as the voice of antiquity expresses it ; and 
retains entire, within himself, the right of demand- 
ing satisfaction from the sinner for the injuries 
which he has sustained. From this right he has 
not thought fit to recede, or to resign any part of 
it, on account of the rigid inflexibility of his justice : 
according to which he hates iniquity, and does not 
permit a wicked person to dwell in his presence. 
This, therefore, is the Divine Person in whose hands 
rest both the right and the power of imposition ; the 
fact of his having also the will is decided by the 
very act of imposition. 

" But an inquiry must be made into the cause of 
this imposition, which we shall not find, except, 
First, in the conflict between justice and gracious 
mercy ; and, afterward, in their amicable agreement, 
or, rather, their junction by means of wisdom's con- 
ciliating assistance. 

" (1.) Justice demanded, on her part, the punish- 
ment due to her from a sinful creature ; and this 
demand she the more rigidly enforced, by the great- 
er equity with which she had threatened it, and the 
greater truth with which it had been openly foretold 
and declared. 

" Gracious Mercy, like a pious mother, moving 
with bowels of commiseration, desired to avert 
that punishment in which was placed the extreme 
misery of the creature. For she thought that, 
though the remission of that punishment was not 
due to the cause of it, yet such a favour ought to be 
granted to her by a right of the greatest equity ; be- 
cause it is one of her chief properties to 'rejoice 
against judgment.' — (James, ii., 13.) 

" Justice, tenacious of her purpose, rejoined, that 



118 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

the throne of grace, she must confess, was sublime- 
ly elevated above the tribunal of justice ; but she 
could not bear, with patient indifference, that no re- 
gard should be paid to her, and her suit not to be 
admitted, while the authority of managing the whole 
affair was to be transferred to Mercy. Since, how- 
ever, it was a part of the oath administered to Jus- 
tice when she entered into office, ' that she should 
render to every one his own,' she would yield en- 
tirely to Mercy, provided a method could be devised 
by which her own inflexibility could be declared, as 
well as the excess of her hatred to sin. 

" (2.) But to find out that method was not the prov- 
ince of Mercy. It was necessary, therefore, to call 
in the aid of Wisdom to adjust the mighty differ- 
ence, and to reconcile, by an amicable union, those 
two combatants that were, in God, the supreme 
protectresses of all equity and goodness. Being 
called upon, she came, and at once discovered a 
method, and affirmed that it was possible to render 
to each of them that which belonged to her ; for if 
the punishment due to sin appeared desirable to 
Justice and odious to Mercy, it might be transmuted 
into an expiatory sacrifice, the oblation of which, 
on account of the voluntary suffering of death (which 
is the punishment adjudged to sin), might appease 
Justice, and open such a way for Mercy as she had 
desired. Both of them instantly assented to this 
proposal, and made a decree according to the terms 
of agreement settled by Wisdom, their common ar- 
bitrator. 

u 2. But, that we may come to the second point, a 
priest was next to be sought to offer the sacrifice : 
for it was a function of the priesthood. A sacrifice 
was also to be sought ; and with this condition an- 
nexed to it, that the same person should be both 
priest and sacrifice. This was required by the plan 
of the true priesthood and sacrifice, from which the 
figurative and symbolical greatly differs. But in the 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 119 

different orders of creatures neither sacrifice nor 
priest could be found. 

*' It was not possible for an angel to become a 
priest ; because ' he was to be taken from among 
men, and to be ordained from men in things pertain- 
ing to God.' — (Heb., v., 1.) Neither could an angel 
be a sacrifice ; because it was not just that the death 
of an angel should be an expiation for a crime 
which a man had perpetrated ; and if this had even 
been most proper, yet man could never have been 
induced to believe that the value of an angelic sac- 
rifice had been expended by an angel upon him, or, 
if it had been so expended, that it was of the least 
avail. Application was then to be made to men 
themselves. But among them not one could be 
found in whom it would have been a becoming act 
to execute the office of the priesthood, and who had 
either ability or inclination for the undertaking. 
For all men were sinners ; all were terrified with a 
consciousness of their delinquency ; and all were 
detained captive under the tyranny of sin and Sa- 
tan. It was not lawful for a sinner to approach to 
God, who is pure Light, for the purpose of offering 
sacrifice ; because, being affrighted by his own in- 
ternal perception of his crime, he could not support 
a sight of the countenance of an incensed God, be- 
fore whom it was still necessary that he should ap- 
pear. Being placed under the dominion of sin and 
Satan, he was neither willing, nor had he the power 
to will, to execute an office the duties of which 
were to be discharged for the benefit of others, out 
of love to them. The same consideration likewise 
tends to the rejection of every human sacrifice. Yet 
the priest was to be taken from among men, and the 
oblation to God was to consist of a human victim. 

" In this state of affairs, the assistance of Wisdom 
was again required in the Divine Council. She de- 
clared that a man must be born from among men, 
who might have a nature in common with the rest 



120 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

of his brethren ; that, being in all things tempted as 
they were, he might be able to sympathize with 
others in their sufferings ; and yet that he should 
neither be reckoned in the order of the rest, nor 
should be made man according to the law of the 
primitive creation and benediction ; that he should 
not be under the dominion of sin ; that he should 
be one in whom Satan could find nothing worthy of 
condemnation ; who should not be tormented by a 
consciousness of sin, and who should not even know 
sin ; that is, one who should be ' born in the likeness 
of sinful flesh, and yet without sin. For such a high- 
priest became us, who is holy, harmless, imdefiled, 
and separate from sinners. ' — (Heb., vii., 26.) But, 
that he might have a community of nature with 
men, he ought to be born of a human being ; and, 
that he might have no participation in crime with 
them, but might be holy, he ought to be conceived 
by the Holy Ghost ; because sanctiflcation is his 
proper work. By the Holy Spirit, the nativity 
which was above and yet according to nature, might, 
through the virtue of the mystery, restore nature, 
as it surpassed her in the transcendent excellence of 
the miracle. But the dignity of this priesthood was 
greater, and its functions more weighty and impor- 
tant, than man, even in his pure state, was compe- 
tent to sustain or discharge. The benefits, also, to 
be obtained by it infinitely exceeded the value of 
man when in his greatest state of purity. There- 
fore the Word of God, who from the beginning was 
with God, and by whom the worlds, and all things 
visible and invisible, were created, ought himself to 
be made flesh, to undertake the office of the priest- 
hood, and to offer his own flesh to God as a sacri- 
fice for the life of the world. 

" We now have the person who was intrusted with 
the priesthood, and to whom the province was as- 
signed of atoning for the common offence : it is Je- 
sus Christ, the Son of God and of man, a High-Priest 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 121 

of such great excellence, that the transgressions 
whose demerits have obtained this mighty Redeem- 
er might almost seem to have been a happy circum- 
stance. 

"3. Let us proceed to the mode of its being imposed 
or undertaken. This mode is according to covenant, 
which on God's part received an oath for its con- 
firmation. As it is according to covenant, it be- 
comes a solemnity appointed by God, with whom 
rests the appointment to the priesthood. For the 
Levitical priesthood was conferred on Levi according 
to covenant, as the Lord declares by the Prophet Mal- 
achi : ' My covenant was with him of life and 
peace' (ii., 5). It is, however, peculiar to this 
priesthood of Christ, that the covenant on which it 
is founded was confirmed by an oath. Let us briefly 
consider each of them. 

" The covenant into which God entered with our 
High-Priest, Jesus Christ, consisted, on the part of 
God, of the demand of an action to be performed, 
and of the promise of an immense remuneration. 
On the part of Christ, our High-Priest, it consisted 
of an accepting of the promise, and a voluntary en- 
gagement to perform the action. First. God re- 
quired of him that he should lay down his soul as 
a victim in sacrifice for sin (Isa., liii., II); that he 
should give his flesh for the life of the world (John, 
vi., 51) ; and that he should pay the price of redemp- 
tion for the sins and the captivity of the human 
race. God 'promised' that, if he performed all 
this, 'he should see a seed whose days should be 
prolonged' (Isa., liii., 11), and that he should be 
himself ' an everlasting priest after the order of 
Melchizedec' (Psalm ex., 4) ; that is, he should, by 
the discharge of his priestly functions, be elevated 
to the regal dignity. Secondly. Christ, our High- 
Priest, accepted of these conditions, and permitted 
the province to be assigned to him of atoning for 
our transgressions ; exclaiming, ' Lo, I come that I 
L 



122 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

may do thy will, my God.' — (Psalm xl., 8.) But 
he accepted them under a stipulation that, on com- 
pleting his great undertaking-, he should forever en- 
joy the honour of a priesthood similar to that of 
Melchizedec ; and that, being placed on his royal 
throne, he might, as King of Righteousness and 
Prince of Peace, rule in righteousness the people 
subject to his sway, and might dispense peace to 
his people. He therefore, ' for the joy that was 
set before him, endured the cross, despising the 
shame' (Heb., xii., 2); that, 'being anointed with 
the oil of gladness above his fellows' (Psalm xlv., 
7), he might sit forever in the throne of equity at 
the right hand of the throne of God. 

u Great indeed was the condescension of the All- 
powerful God in being willing to treat with our 
High-Priest rather in the way of covenant than by 
a display of his authority. And strong were the 
pious affections of our High-Priest, who did not re- 
fuse to take upon himself, on our account, the dis- 
charge of those difficult and arduous duties which 
were full of pain, trouble, and misery. Most glori- 
ous act, performed by thee, Christ, who art infi- 
nite in goodness ! Thou Great High-Priest, accept 
of the honours due to thy pious affection, and con- 
tinue in that way to proceed to glory, to the com- 
plete consecration of our salvation ! P'or it was 
the will of God that the duties of the office should 
be administered from a voluntary and disinterested 
zeal and affection for his glory and the salvation of 
sinners ; and it was a deed worthy of his abundant 
benignity, to recompense with a large reward the 
voluntary promptitude which Christ exhibited. 

" God added an oath to the covenant, both for the 
purpose of confirming it, and as a demonstration of 
the dignity and unchangeable nature of that priest- 
hood. Though the constant and unvarying veracity 
of God's nature might very properly set aside the 
necessity of an oath, yet, as he had conformed to the 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 123 

customs of men in their method of solemnizing 
agreements, it was his pleasure by an oath to con- 
firm his covenant ; that our High-Priest, relying in 
assured hope on the twofold and immovable anchor 
of the promise and of the oath, ' might despise the 
shame and endure the cross. , The immutability 
and perpetuity of this priesthood have been pointed 
out by the oath which was added to the covenant. 
For whatever that be which God confirms by an oath, 
it is something eternal and immutable. 

" But it may be asked, ' Are not all the words 
which God speaks, all the promises which he makes, 
and all the covenants into which he enters, of the 
same nature, even when they are unaccompanied by 
the sanctity of an oath"?' Let me be permitted to 
describe the difference between the two cases here 
stated, and to prove it by an important example. 
There are two methods or plans by which it might 
be possible for man to arrive at a state of righteous- 
ness before God, and to obtain life from him : the one 
is according to righteousness through the law, by 
works and ' of debt ;' the other is according to mer- 
cy through the Gospel, ' by grace, and through faith.' 
These two methods are so constituted as not to al- 
low both of them to be in a course of operation at 
the same time ; but they proceed on the principle 
that, when the first of them is made void, a vacancy 
may be created for the second. In the beginning, 
therefore, it was the will of God to prescribe to man 
the first of these methods ; which arrangement was 
required by his righteousness and the primitive in- 
stitution of mankind. But it was not his pleasure 
to deal strictly with man according to the process 
of that legal covenant, and peremptorily to pro- 
nounce a destructive sentence against him in con- 
formity with the rigour of the law. Wherefore he 
did not subjoin an oath to that covenant, lest such an 
addition should have served to point out its immu- 
tability, a quality which God would not permit it to 



121 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

possess. The necessary consequence of this was, 
that, when the first covenant was made void through 
sin, a vacancy was created by the good pleasure of 
God for another and a better covenant, in the mani- 
festation of which he employed an oath, because it 
was to be the last and peremptory one respecting 
the method of obtaining righteousness and life. ' By 
myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, that in thy seed 
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.' — (Gen., 
xxii., 18.) 'As I live, saith the Lord, have I any 
pleasure at all that the wicked should die ? and not 
that he should return from his ways and live V 
(Ezek., xviii., 23.)—' So I sware in my wrath, They 
shall not enter into my rest. And to whom sware 
he that they should not enter into his rest, but to 
them that believed not! So we see that they could 
not enter in because of unbelief.' — (Heb., hi., 11, 18.) 
For the same reason it is said, ' The wrath of God 
[from which it is possible for sinners to be liberated 
by faith in Christ] abides on those who are unbe- 
lievers.' — (John, hi., 36.) A similar process is ob- 
served in relation to the priesthood. For he did not 
confirm with an oath the Levitical priesthood, which 
had been ' imposed until the time of reformation' 
(Heb., ix., 10). But because it was his will that the 
priesthood of Christ should be everlasting, he rati- 
fied it by an oath. The apostle to the Hebrews 
demonstrates the whole of this subject in the most 
nervous style, by quotations from the hundred and 
tenth Psalm. Blessed are we in whose behalf God 
was willing to sw r ear ! but most miserable shall we 
be if we give no credit to him who swears. The 
greatest dignity is likewise obtained to this priest- 
hood, and imparted to it, by the addition of an oath, 
which elevates it far above the honour to which that 
of Levi attained. ' For the law of a carnal com- 
mandment maketh men priests who have infirmities, 
and are sinners, to offer both gifts and sacrifices, 
that could not make him perfect who did the service, 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 125 

as pertaining to the conscience' (Heb., ix., 9) ; nei- 
ther could they abolish sin, or procure heavenly 
blessings. ' But the words of the oath, which was 
since the law. constitute th the Son a High-Priest 
consecrated forevermore, who, after the power of an 
endless life and through the Eternal Spirit, offers 
himself without spot to God, and by that one offer- 
ing he perfects forever them that are sanctified, their 
consciences being purified to serve the living God : 
by how much also it was a more excellent cove- 
nant, by so much the more ought it to be confirmed, 
since it was established upon better promises' 
(Heb., vii.-x.) ; and that which God hath deigned to 
honour with the sanctity of an oath, should be view- 
ed as an object of the most momentous importance. 
u II. We have spoken to the act of imposing the 
priesthood as long as our circumscribed time will 
allow us. Let us now contemplate its execution, in 
which we have to consider the duties to be performed, 
and in them the feeling and condition of him who per- 
forms them. The functions to be executed were 
two : (1 .) The oblation of an expiatory sacrifice ; and 
(2.) Prayer. 

" 1. The oblation was preceded by a preparation 
through the deepest privation and abasement, the 
most devoted obedience, vehement supplications, 
and the most exquisitely painful experience of hu- 
man infirmities, on each of which it is not now 
necessary to speak. This oblation consists of two 
parts succeeding each other : the first is the immo- 
lation or sacrifice of the body of Christ, by the shed- 
ding of his blood on the altar of the cross, which 
was succeeded by death ; thus paying the price of 
redemption for sins by suffering the punishment due 
to them. The other part consists of the offering 
of his body reanimated and sprinkled with the blood 
which he shed — a symbol of the price which he has 
paid, and of the redemption which he has obtained. 
The first part of this oblation was to be performed 
L2 



126 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

without the Holy of Hohes ; that is, on earth, be- 
cause no effusion of biood can take place in heaven, 
since it is necessarily succeeded by death. For 
death has no more sway in heaven, in the presence 
and sight of the Majesty of the True God, than sin 
itself lias, which contains within it the deserts of 
deatn, and as death contains within itself the pun- 
ishment of sin. For thus says the Scripture : ; The 
Son of man came, not to be ministered unto, but to 
minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.' — 
(Matt., xx., 28.) 'For this is my blood of the Xew 
Testament, which is shed for many for the remis- 
sion of sins." — (Matt., xxvi., 28.) ' Christ Jesus gave 
himself a ransom for ail, to be testified in due time/ — 
(1 Tim., ii., 6.) But the second part of this offering 
was to be accomplished in heaven, in the Holy of 
Holies. For that body which had suffered the pun- 
ishment of death and had been recalled to life, was 
entitled to appear before the Divine Majesty, be- 
sprinkled with its own biood ; that, remaining thus 
before God as a continual memorial, it might also 
be a perpetual expiation for transgressions. On 
this subject the apostle says : ' Into the second tab- 
ernacle went the high-priest alone once every year, 
not without biood, which he offered for himself and 
for the errors of the people. But Christ being come 
a High-Priest of good things to come, not by the biood 
of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered 
in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal 
redemption for us ? (Heb., ix., 11) : that is, by his own 
blood already poured out and sprinkled upon him, 
that he might appear with it in the presence of God. 
That act, being once performed, was never repeat- 
ed ; ' for in that he died, he died unto sin once.' 
But this is a perpetual act ; ' for in that he liveth. he 
liveth unto God' (Rom., vi., 10). ' This man, because 
he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priest- 
hood.' — (Heb., vii., -24.) The former was the act of 
the Lamb to be slain, the latter that, of the Lamb 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 12? 

already slain, and raised again from death to life. 
The one was completed in a state of the deepest 
humiliation, the other in a state of glory ; and both 
of them out of a consummate affection for the glory 
of God and the salvation of sinners. Sanctified by 
the anointing of the Spirit, he completed the former 
act ; and the latter was likewise his work, when he 
had been farther consecrated by his sufferings and 
sprinkled with his own blood. By the former, there- 
fore, he sanctified himself, and made a kind of prep- 
aration on earth, that he might be qualified to dis- 
charge the functions of the latter in heaven. 

" *2. The second of the two functions to be dis- 
charged was the act of prayer and intercession, the 
latter of which depends upon the former. Prayer is 
that which Christ offers for himself, and intercession 
is what he offers for believers ; each of which is 
most luminously described to us by John, in the 
seventeenth chapter of his Gospel, which contains 
a perpetual rule and exact canon of the prayers and 
intercessions which Christ offers in heaven to his 
Father. For although that prayer was recited by 
Christ while he remained upon earth, yet it proper- 
ly belongs to his sublime state of exaltation in heav- 
en ; and it was his will that it should be described 
in his word, that we on earth might derive from it 
perpetual consolation. Christ offers up a prayer to 
the Father for himself, according to the Father's 
command and promise combined, ' Ask of me, and I 
shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance.' — 
(Psalm ii., 8.) Christ had regard to this promise 
when he said, ' Father, glorify thy Son, that thy Son 
also may glorify thee, as thou hast given him power 
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as 
many as thou hast given him.' This sort of entrea- 
ty must be distinguished from those ' supplications 
which Christ in the days of his flesh offered up to 
the Father, with strong cries and tears' (Heb., v., 
7) ; for by them he entreated to be delivered from 



128 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

anguish, while by the other he asks ' to see his seed 
whose days should be prolonged, and to behold the 
pleasure of the Lord which should prosper in his 
hands' (Isa., liii., 10). But for the faithful inter- 
cession is made, of which the apostle thus speaks : 
; Who is he that condemneth I It is Christ that 
died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at 
the right hand of God, who also maketh interces- 
sion for us.' — (Rom., viii., 34.) And, in the Epistle 
to the Hebrews, he says, ' Wherefore he is able 
also to save them to the uttermost that come unto 
God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make inter- 
cession for them 1 (vii., 25). But Christ is said to 
intercede for believers, to the exclusion of the world, 
because, after he had offered a sacrifice sufficient to 
take away the sins of all mankind, he was conse- 
crated a Great ' High-Priest to preside over the 
house of God 1 (Heb., x., 21) ; ' which house those are 
who hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the 
hope firm unto the end' (hi., 6). Christ discharges 
the whole of this part of his function in heaven, be- 
fore the face of the Divine Majesty ; for there also 
is the royal seat and the throne of God, to which, 
when we are about to pray, we are commanded to 
lift up our eyes and our minds. But he executes 
this part of his office, not in anguish of spirit, or in a 
posture of humble genuflection, as though fallen 
down before the knees of the Father, but in the con- 
fidence of the shedding of his own blood, which, 
sprinkled as it is on his sacred body, he continually 
presents as an object of sight before his Father, al- 
ways turning it towards his sacred countenance. 
The entire efficacy of this function depends on the 
dignity and value of the blood effused and sprinkled 
over the body ; for, by his blood-shedding, he opened 
a passage for himself ' into the holiest within the 
veil.' From which circumstance we may with the 
greatest certainty conclude that his prayers will 
never be rejected, and that whatever we shall ask 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 129 

in his name, will, in virtue of that intercession, be 
both heard and answered. 

"The sacerdotal functions being thus executed, 
God the Father, mindful of his covenant and sacred 
oath, not only continued the priesthood with Christ 
forever, but elevated him likewise to the regal dig- 
nity, ' all power being given unto him in heaven and 
in earth (Matt., xxviii., 18), also power over all flesh 
(John, xvii., 2) : a name being conferred on him which 
is far above all principality, and might, and domin- 
ion, and every name that is named, not only in this 
world, but also in that, which is to come (Ephes., i., 
21) : angels, and authorities, and powers being made 
subject unto him' (1 Pet., hi., 22), that he might be 
the Christ and the Lord of his whole Israel, PCing of 
Kings and Lord of Lords. By this admirable cove- 
nant, therefore, God hath united those two supreme 
functions in one, even in Christ Jesus, and has thus 
performed his promise, by which he had sworn that 
this priest should ' be forever after the order of Mel- 
chizedec,' who was at once a king and a priest ; 
and is to the present time ' without beginning of days 
or end of life,' because his genealogy is not described 
in the Scriptures, which in this case are subservi- 
ent to the figure. This conjunction of the sacerdotal 
and regal functions is the highest point and the ex- 
treme clause of all the Divine works, a never-fading 
token of the justice and the mercy of God attempered 
together for the economy of our salvation, a very 
luminous and clear evidence of the most excellent 
glory of God, and an immovable foundation for the 
certainty of obtaining salvation through this royal 
priest. If man is properly styled ' the extreme 
Colophon of the creation,' i a microcosm' on account 
of the union of his body and soul, ■ an epitome of 
the whole world,' and ' the marriage of the universe,' 
what judgment shall we form of this conjunction, 
which consists of a most intimate and inseparable 
union of the whole church of believers and of God 



130 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

himself, ' who dwells in the light unto which no man 
can approach]' and by what amplitude of title shall 
we point out its divinity] This union hath a name 
above every name that can be named. It is ineffable, 
inconceivable, and incomprehensible. If, chiefly in 
respect to this, I shall say that Christ is styled ' the 
brightness of the Father's glory,' ' the express image 
of his person,' and ' the image of the invisible God,' 
I shall have expressed its excellency as fully as it 
is possible to do. 

" What can be a more illustrious instance of the 
admixture of justice with mercy than that even the 
Son of God, when he had ' made himself of no rep- 
utation and assumed the form of a servant,' could 
not be constituted a king except through a discharge 
of the sacerdotal functions ; and that all those bless- 
ings which he had to bestow as a king on his sub- 
jects could not be asked except through the priest- 
hood, and which, when obtained from God, could not 
(except through the intervention of this Royal Me- 
diator) be communicated by his vicarious distribu- 
tion under God] What can be a stronger and a 
better proof of the certainty of obtaining salvation 
through Christ, than that he has, by the discharge of 
his sacerdotal functions in behalf of men, asked and 
procured it for men ; and that, being constituted a 
King through the priesthood, he has received salva- 
tion from the Father to be dispensed to them ? In 
these particulars consists the perfection of the Divine 
glory. 

" III. But this consideration, I perceive, introduces 
us, almost imperceptibly, to the third and last por- 
tion of our subject, in which we have engaged to 
treat on the fruits of the sacerdotal office in its 
administration by Christ. We will reduce all these 
fruits, though they are innumerable, to four chief 
particulars ; and, since we hasten to the end of this 
discourse, we bind ourselves down to extreme brev- 
ity. These benefits are (1.) The concluding and 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 131 

the confirmation of a new covenant; (2.) The ask- 
ing, obtaining, and application of all the blessings 
necessary for the salvation of the human race ; (3.) 
The institution of a new priesthood, both eucharistic 
and regal ; and (4.) lastly, The extreme and final 
bringing to God of all his covenant people. 

" 1. The first utility is the contracting and the con- 
firmation of a new covenant, in which the compendious 
advantage is directed to solid felicity. 

" We rejoice and glory that this has been obtained 
by the priesthood of Christ ; for, since the first cov- 
enant had been made weak through sin and the flesh, 
and was not capable of bringing righteousness and 
life, it was necessary either to enter into another, or 
that we should be forever expelled from God's pres- 
ence. Such a covenant could not be contracted be- 
tween a just God and sinful men except in conse- 
quence of a reconciliation, which it pleased God, the 
offended party, should be perfected by the blood of 
our High-Priest, to be poured out on the altar of the 
cross. He who was at once the officiating priest 
and the Lamb for sacrifice, poured out his sacred 
blood, and thus asked and obtained for us a recon- 
ciliation with God. When this great offering was 
completed, it w r as possible for the reconciled parties 
to enter into an agreement. Hence it pleased God 
that the same High-Priest, who acted as Mediator 
and Umpire in this reconciliation, should, with the 
very blood by which he had effected their union, go 
between the two parties, as a middle-man, or in the 
capacity of an ambassador, and as a herald to bear 
tidings of war or peace ; with the same blood as that 
by which the consciences of those who were included 
in the provisions of the covenant, being sprinkled, 
might be purged from dead works and sanctified ; 
with the very blood which, sprinkled upon himself, 
might always appear in the sight of God ; and with 
the same blood as that by which all things in the 
heavens might be sprinkled and purified. Through 



132 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

the intervention, therefore, of his blood, another cov- 
enant was contracted : not one of works, but of faith ; 
not of the law, but of grace ; not an old, but a new 
one ; and new, not because it was later than the first, 
but because it was never to be abrogated or repealed, 
and because its force and vigour should perpetually 
endure. ' For that which decayeth and waxeth old, 
is ready to vanish away.' — (Heb., viii., 13.) If such 
a covenant as is described in this quotation should 
be again contracted, in the several ages which suc- 
ceed each other, changes ought frequently to occur 
in it ; and, all former covenants being rendered ob- 
solete, others more recent ought to succeed. But it 
was necessary, at length, that a pause should occur 
in one of them, and that such a covenant should at 
once be made as might endure forever. It was also 
to be ratified with blood. But how was it possible 
to be confirmed with blood of greater value than that 
of the High-Priest, who was the Son both of God and 
man 1 But the covenant of which we are now treat- 
ing was ratified with that blood ; it was therefore a 
new one, and never to be annulled. For the perpet- 
ual presence and sight of such a Great High-Priest, 
sprinkled with his own blood, will not suffer the mind 
of his Father to be regardless of the covenant ratified 
by it, or his sacred breast to be moved with repent- 
ance. With what other blood will it be possible for 
the consciences of those in covenant to be cleansed 
and sanctified to God, if, after having become parties 
to the covenant of grace, they pollute themselves 
with any crime? 'There remaineth no more sac- 
rifice for sins, if any man have trodden under foot 
this High-Priest, and counted the blood of the cove- 
nant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing.' 
— (Heb., x., 2!).) The covenant, therefore, which has 
been concluded by the intervention of this blood and 
this High-Priest, is a new one, and will endure for- 
ever. 

" 2. The second fruit is the ashing, obtaining, and 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 133 

application of all the blessings necessary to those who 
are in covenant for the salvation both of soul and body ; 
for, since every covenant must be confirmed by cer- 
tain promises, it was necessary that this also should 
have its blessings, by which it might be sanctioned, 
and those in covenant rendered happy. 

" (1.) Among those blessings, the remission of sins 
first offers itself, according to the tenour of the 
New Covenant, ' I will be merciful to their unrigh- 
teousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I 
remember no more.' — (Heb., viii., 1-2.) But the 
Scripture testifies that Christ has asked this bless- 
ing by his blood when it says, ' This is my blood of 
the New Testament, which is shed for many for the 
remission of sins.' — (Matt., xxvi., 28.) The Scrip- 
ture also proves his having obtained such a blessing 
by the discharge of the same office, in these words : 
' By his own blood Christ entered in once into the 
holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for 
us.' — (Heb., ix., 12.) It adds its testimony to the 
application, saying, ' In Christ we have redemption 
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according 
to the riches of his grace.' — (Ephes., i., 7.) 

" (2.) This necessary blessing is succeeded by 
adoption into sons, and by a right to the heavenly inher- 
itance ; and we owe it to the priesthood of Christ, 
that this blessing was asked and obtained for us, as 
well as communicated to us, by the priesthood of 
fmr Saviour Jesus Christ ; for he being the proper 
and only begotten Son of the Father, and the sole 
leir of all his Father's blessings, was unwilling to 
mjoy such transcendent benefits alone, and desired 
*o have coheirs and partners, whom he might anoint 
with the oil of his gladness, and might receive into 
a participation of that inheriiance. He made an 
offering, therefore, of his soul for sin, that the trav- 
ail of his soul being finished, he might see his seed 
prolonged in their days ; the seed of God, which 
might come into a participation with him both of 
M 



134 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

name and inheritance. ■ He was made under the 
law, to redeem them that were under the law, that 
we might receive the adoption of sons.' — (Gal., iv., 
5.) According to the command of the Father, he ask- 
ed that the heathen might be given to him for an in- 
heritance. By these acts, therefore, which are pecu- 
liar to his priesthood, he asked for this right of adop- 
tion in behalf of his believing people, and obtained 
it for the purpose of its being communicated to 
them ; na}^, in fact, he himself became the donor. 
* For to as many as believed on his name Christ 
gave power to become the sons of God.' — (John, i. 5 
12.) Through him and in regard to him, God has 
adopted us for sons who are beloved in him. the Son 
of his love. He, therefore, is the sole heir by whose 
death the inheritance comes to others ; which cir- 
cumstance was predicted by the perfidious husband- 
men (Mark, xii., 7), who, being Scribes and Phari- 
sees, uttered at that time a remarkable truth, al- 
though they were ignorant of such a great mystery. 
" (3.) But, because it is impossible to obtain ben- 
efits of this magnitude except in union with the 
High-Priest himself, it was expected of him that he 
should ask and obtain the gift of the Holy Spirit, the 
bond of that union, and should pour him out on his 
own people. But, since the Spirit of grace is the 
token as well as the testimony of the love of God 
towards us, and the earnest of our inheritance, 
Christ could not ask this great gift till a reconcilia- 
tion had taken place, and to effect this was the duty 
of the priest. When, therefore, this reconciliation 
was effected, he asked of his Father another Com- 
forter for his people, and his request was granted. 
Being elevated to the right hand of God, he obtain- 
ed this Paraclete promised in the terms of the Sa- 
cerdotal Covenant ; and, when he had procured this 
Spirit, he poured him out in a most copious manner 
on his followeis, as the Scripture says, 'Therefore, 
being by the right hand of God exalted, and having 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 135 

received of the Father the promise of the Holy 
Ghost, he hath shed forth this which ye now see 
and hear.' — (Acts, ii., 33.) 

" That the asking, the obtaining, and the communi- 
cation of ail these blessings, have flowed from the 
functions of the priesthood, God has testified by a 
certain seal of the greatest sanctity, when he con- 
stituted Christ the Testator of these very blessings ; 
which office embraces conjointly both the full pos- 
session of the good things devised as legacies in the 
will, and absolute authority over their distribution. 

"3. The third fruit of Christ's administration is 
the institution of a new priesthood both eucharistic and 
regal, and our sanctification for the purpose of per- 
forming its duties ; for when a New Covenant was 
concluded, it was needful to institute a new eucha- 
ristic priesthood (because the old one had fallen into 
disuse), and to sanctify priests to fulfil its duties. 

w (1.) Christ, by his own priesthood, completed 
such an institution ; and he sanctified us by a dis- 
charge of its functions. This was the order in 
which he instituted it : First, he constituted us his 
debtors, and as bound to thanksgiving, on account 
of the immense benefits procured for us and bestow- 
ed upon us by his priesthood. Then he instructed 
us how to offer sacrifices to God, our souls and bod- 
ies being sanctified and consecrated by the sprink- 
ling of his blood and by the unction of the Holy 
Spirit, that, if they were offered as sacrifices to 
God, they might meet with acceptance. It was also 
his care to have an altar erected in heaven before 
the throne of grace, which, being sprinkled with his 
own blood, he consecrated to God, that the sacrifices 
of his faithful people, being placed upon it, might 
continually appear before the face of the Majesty 
of Heaven, and in presence of his throne. Lastly, 
he placed on that altar an eternal and never-ceasing 
fire, the immeasurable favour of God, with which 
the sacrifices on that altar might be kindled and re- 
duced to ashes. 



136 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

" (-2.) But it was also necessary that priests should 
be consecrated : the act of consecration, therefore, 
was performed by Christ, as the Great High-Priest, 
by his own blood. St. John says, in the Apoca- 
lypse, ' He hath loved us, and washed us from our 
sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and 
priests unto God and his Father 1 (i., 6). ' Thou hast 
redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kin- 
dred, and tongue, and people, and nation ; and hast 
made us unto our God kings and priests' (v., 10). 
Not content to have us joint-heirs in the participa- 
tion of his inheritance, he willed that we should like- 
wise partake of the same dignity as that which he 
enjoyed. But he made us partners with him of that 
dignity in such a manner as in the mean time always 
to retain within himself the first place ' as Head of 
his body the Church, the first-born among many 
brethren, and the Great High-Priest who presides 
over the whole of the House of God/ To Him, we, 
who are ' born again,' ought to deliver our sacrifices, 
that by him they may be farther offered to God, 
sprinkled and perfumed with the grateful odour of his 
own expiatory sacrifice, and may thus, through him, 
be rendered acceptable to the Father. For this 
cause, the apostle says, ' By him, therefore, let us 
offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that 
is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.' 
— (Heb., xiii., 15.) We are, indeed, by his favour, 
1 a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices ;' 
but those sacrifices are rendered ' acceptable to God 
only by Jesus Christ.' — (1 Pet., ii., 5.) Not only 
was it his pleasure that we should be partakers of 
this sacerdotal dignity, but likewise of the eternity 
attached to it, that we also might execute the office 
of the priesthood after the order of Melchizedec, 
which, by a sacred oath, was consecrated to immor- 
tality. For though, at the close of these temporary 
ages, Christ will not any longer perform the expia- 
tory part of the priesthood, yet he will forever dis- 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 137 

charge its eucharistic duties in our favour. These 
eucharistic duties we shall also execute in him and 
through him, unless, in the midst of the enjoyment 
of the benefits received by us from him, we should 
desire our memories no longer to retain the recol- 
lection that through him we obtained those bless- 
ings, and through him we have been created priests 
to render due thanksgiving to God, the Chief Donor 
of all. But, since we are not able to offer to God, 
so long as we remain in this mortal body, the sacri- 
fices due to him, except by the strenuous resistance 
which we offer to Satan, the world, sin, and our own 
flesh, and through the victory which we obtain over 
them (both of which are royal acts) ; and since, after 
this life, we shall execute the sacerdotal office, be- 
ing elevated with hirn on the throne of his Father, 
and having all our enemies subdued under us, he 
hath therefore made us both kings and priests ; yea, 
' a royal priesthood' to our God, that nothing might 
be found in the typical priesthood of Melchizedec 
in the enjoyment of which we should not equally 
participate. 

i; 4. The fourth, and last fruit of the priesthood 
of Christ proposed to be noticed by us, is the act of 
bringing to God all the church of the faithful, which is 
the end and completion of the three preceding effects ; 
for with this intent the covenant was contracted be- 
tween God and men ; with this intent the remission 
of sins, the adoption of sons, and the Spirit of grace 
were conferred on the Church ; for this purpose the 
new eucharistic and royal priesthood was institu- 
ted ; that, being made priests and kings, all the cov- 
enant people might be brought to their God. In 
most expressive language the Apostle Peter ascribes 
this effect to the priesthood of Christ in these words : 
1 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just 
for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.' — (1 
Pet., hi., 18.) The following are also the words of 
an apostle concerning the same act of bringing them 
M2 



138 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

to God : ' Then cometh the end, when he shall have 
delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father.' 
— (1 Cor., xv., 24.) In Isaiah's prophecy it is said, 
• Behold I and the children whom the Lord hath giv- 
en me !' Let these words be considered as pro- 
ceeding out of the mouth of Christ when he is bring- 
ing his children and addressing the Father ; not that 
they may be ' for signs and for wonders' to the peo- 
ple, but. ' a peculiar treasure to the Lord. 5 

Christ will therefore bring all his church, whom 
he hath redeemed to himself by his own blood, that 
they may receive from the hands of the Father of 
infinite benignity the heavenly inheritance which 
has been procured by his death, promised in his 
Word, and sealed by the Holy Spirit, and may en- 
joy it forever. He will bring his priests, whom, 
sprinkled with his blood, he hath sanctified unto God, 
that they may serve him forever. He will bring his 
kings, that they may with God possess the kingdom 
forever and ever; for in them, by the virtue of his 
Holy Spirit, he has subdued and overcome Satan the 
chief, and his auxiliaries, the world, sin, and their 
own flesh, yea, and ' death itself, the last enemy that 
shall be destroyed.' 

" Christ will bring, and God, even the Father, will 
receive. He will receive the church of Christ, and 
will command her as 'the bride, the Lamb's wife,' 
on her introduction into the celestial bride-chamber, 
to celebrate a perpetual feast with the Lamb, that 
she may enjoy the most complete fruition of pleas- 
ure in the presence of the throne of his glory. He 
will receive the priests, and will clothe them with 
the comely and beautiful garments of perfect holi- 
ness, that they may forever and ever sing to God a 
new song of thanksgiving. And then he will receive 
the kings, and place them on the throne of his maj- 
esty, that they may with God and the Lamb obtain 
the kingdom, and may rule and reign forever. 

" These are the fruits and benefits which Christ, 



PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 139 

by the administration of his priesthood, hath asked 
and obtained for us, and communicated to us. Their 
dignity is undoubtedly great, and their utility im- 
mense. For what could occur of a more agreeable 
nature to those who are ' alienated from the life of 
God, and strangers to the covenants of promise' 
(Ephes., ii., 12), than to be received by God into trie 
covenant of grace, and to be reckoned among his 
people 1 What could afford greater pleasure to the 
consciences which were oppressed with the intoler- 
able burden of their sins, and fainting under the 
weight of the wrath of God, than the remission and 
pardon of all their transgressions] What could 
prove more acceptable to men, sons of the accursed 
earth, and to those who are devoted to hell, than to 
receive from God the adoption of sons, and to be 
written in heaven? What greater pleasure could 
those enjoy who lie under the dominion of Satan 
and the tyranny of sin, than a freedom from such a 
state of most horrid and miserable servitude, and a 
restoration to true liberty? What more glorious 
than to be admitted into a participation of the Priest- 
hood and of the Monarchy, to be consecrated priests 
and kings to God, even royal priests and priestly kings! 
And, lastly, what could be more desirable than to be 
brought to God, the Chief Good and the Fountain 
of all happiness, that in a beatified and glorious 
state we may spend with him a whole eternity? 

" This priesthood was imposed by God himself, 
* with whom we have to do,' on Christ Jesus — the 
Son of God and the Son of Man, our first-born broth- 
er, formerly encompassed about with infirmities, 
tempted in all things, merciful, holy, faithful, unde- 
nted, and separate from sinners ; and its imposition 
was accompanied by a sacred oath, which it is not 
lawful to revoke. Let us, therefore, rely with assu- 
red faith on this priesthood of Christ, entertaining- 
no doubt that God hath ratified and confirmed, is 
now ratifying and confirming, and will forever ratify 



140 PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. 

and confirm all those things which have been ac- 
complished, are now accomplishing, mid will con- 
tinue even to the consummation of this dispensa- 
tion to be accomplished, on our account, by a High- 
Priest taken from among ourselves, and placed in 
the Divine presence, having received in our behalf 
an appointment from God, who himself chose him 
to that office. 

' ; Since the same Christ hath by the administra- 
tion of his own priesthood obtained a perpetual ex- 
piation and purgation of our sins, and eternal re- 
demption, and hath erected a throne of grace for us 
in heaven, ' let us draw near [to this throne of 
grace] with a true heart and in full assurance of 
faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil con- 
science' (Heb., x., 22), 'and our conscience purged 
from dead works' (ix., 14), assuredly concluding 
' that we shall obtain mercy, and find grace to help 
in time of need' (iv., 16). 

" Lastly. Since, by the administration of this 
priesthood, so many and such excellent benefits 
have been obtained and prepared for us, of which 
we have already received a part as ' the first-fruits :' 
and since we expect to reap in heaven the choicest 
part of these benefits, and the whole of them in the 
mass, and that most complete — what shall we ren- 
der to our God for such a transcendent dignity ? 
what thanks shall we offer to Christ, who is both our 
High-Priest and the Lamb ] ' We will take the cup 
of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.' 
We will offer to God ' the calves of our lips,' and 
will ' present to him our bodies, souls, and spirits, a 
living sacrifice, holy and acceptable.' — (Rom., xii., 
I.) Even while remaining in these lower regions, 
we will sing, with the four-and-twenty elders that 
stand around the throne, this heavenly song to the 
God and Father of all : 4 Thou art worthy, O Lord, 
to receive glory, and honour, and power. For thou 
hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are 



ADDRESS OF ARMINIUS. 141 

and were created.' — (Rev., iv., 11.) To Christ our 
High-Priest and the Lamb, we will, with the same 
elders, chant the new song, saying, ' Thou art wor- 
thy to take the book, and open the seals thereof; for 
thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by 
thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and peo- 
ple, and nation ; and hast made us unto our God 
kings and priests : and we shall reign on the earth' 
(v., 10). Unto both of them together we will unite 
with every creature in singing, ' Blessing, and hon- 
our, AND GLORY, AND MIGHT BE TO HlM WHO SITTETH 
UPON THE THRONE, AND UNTO THE LaMB FOREVER AND 

ever.' — I have finished." 

u After the Academic Act of his promotion to a Doctor's 
Degree ivas completed, Armimus, according to the cus- 
tom at Leyden, which still obtains in many Universi- 
ties, briefly addressed the same audience in the fol- 
lowing manner : 

" Since the countenance necessary for the com- 
mencement of every prosperous action proceeds 
from God, it is proper that in him also every one of 
our actions should terminate. Since, therefore, his 
Divine clemency and benignity have hitherto re- 
garded us in a favourable light, and have granted to 
this our act the desired success, let us render thanks 
to Him for such a great display of his benevolence, 
and utter praise to his holy name. 

" ' thou omnipotent and merciful God, the Fa- 
ther of our Lord Jesus Christ, we give thanks to 
thee for thine infinite benefits conferred upon us 
miserable sinners. But we would first praise thee 
for having willed that thy Son Jesus Christ should 
be the victim and the price of redemption for our 
sins ; that thou hast out of the whole human race 
collected for thyself a church by thy Word and Holy 
Spirit ; that thou hast snatched us also from the 
kingdom of darkness and of Satan, and hast trans- 
lated us into the kingdom of light and of thy Son ; 



142 ADDRESS OF ARMINIUS. 

that thou hast called Holland, our pleasant, and de- 
lightful country, to know and confess thy Son, and 
to enjoy communion with him ; that thou hast hith- 
erto preserved this our native land in safety against 
the machinations and assault? of a very powerful 
adversary ; that thou hast instituted in our renown- 
ed city this university, as a seminary of true wis- 
dom, piety, and righteousness ; and that thou hast 
to this hour accompanied these scholastic exercises 
with thy favour. ^Ye entreat thee, holy and in- 
dulgent God, that thou wouldst forever continue to 
us these benefits ; and do not suffer us, by our in- 
gratitude, to deserve at thy hands to be deprived of 
them ; but be pleased rather to increase them, and 
to confirm the work which thou hast begun. Cause 
us always to reflect with retentive minds on these 
things, and to utter eternal praises to thy most holy 
name on account of them, through our Lord Jesus 
Christ. Amen I' 

" I thank you, Doctor Francis Gomarus, and am 
grateful to you, most illustrious man and very learn- 
ed promoter, for this great privilege with which you 
have invested one who is undeserving of it. I prom- 
ise at all times to acknowledge with a grateful mind 
this favour, and to strive that you may never have 
just cause to repent of having conferred this honour 
upon me. 

" To you, also, most noble Lord Rector, and to 
the very honourable the Senate of the University 
(unless I should desire to defile myself with the 
crime of an ungrateful spirit), I owe greater thanks 
than I am able to express for the honourable judg- 
ment which you have formed concerning me, and 
for your liberal testimony, which by no deed of mine 
have I ever deserved. But I promise and bind my- 
self to exert my powers to the utmost, that I may 
not at any time be found to be entirely unworthy of 
it. If I thus exert myself, I know that you will ac- 
cept it as a payment in fall of all the debt of grat- 
itude which you have a right to demand. 



HIS DIPLOMA. 143 

" I now address you, most noble, honourable, and 
famous men, to all and to each of whom I confess 
myself to be greatly indebted for your continued 
and liberal benevolence towards me, which you have 
abundantly demonstrated by your wish to honour 
this our act with your most noble, honourable, fa- 
mous, and worthy presence. I would promise to 
make you a requital at some future period, did not 
the feebleness of my powers shrink from the mag- 
nitude of the undertaking implied in that expres- 
sion, and did not the eminence of your stations re- 
press the attempt. 

" In the duty of returning thanks, which I am now 
discharging, I must not omit you, most noble and 
studious youths ; for I owe this acknowledgment to 
your partial and kind inclination to me, of which you 
have given a sufficiently exuberant declaration in 
your honourable appearance and modest demeanour 
while you have been present at this our act. 1 give 
my promise and solemn undertaking, that if an oc- 
casion hereafter offer itself in which I can render 
myself serviceable to you, I will endeavour, in ev- 
ery capacity, to compensate you for this }^our kind 
partiality. The occurrence of such an opportunity 
is at once the object of my hopes and my wishes." 

The following is a copy of the diploma which he 
received as Doctor of Divinity : 

a THE RECTOR AND PROFESSORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF 
LEYDEN, IN HOLLAND, TO THE READER, GREETING. 

" The custom is one altogether laudable, and 
founded on the most honourable reasons, which has 
been introduced by emperors, lyings, and republics, 
and which ordains that any man who has attained 
to eminent proficiency in any science or art, shall 
be furnished with honourable testimonials from 
some university, that he may be well known to all 
the world by such a public proclamation of his learn- 



144 HIS DIPLOMA. 

ing and virtue. Since, therefore, this practice is of 
the greatest utility in every art and science, it is so 
much the more necessary in sacred theology, by 
how much the more the teaching [or inculcation] of 
piety excels all the other arts and sciences, chiefly 
through the majesty of the Divine subjects upon 
which it treats. But the utility, in general, of these 
testimonials, is twofold : it seems to affect, in the 
first instance, those who are honoured with such to- 
kens ; and then the rest of mankind. For, first, 
The true and genuine doctors of the Church be- 
come thus, in some degree, better known. Then, 
Those who are well versed in this science, which 
is the most noble and famous of all, are by this 
means stimulated and excited to prosecute with the 
greater diligence these ennobling studies. Those 
upon whom is conferred such a high dignity are re- 
minded, in the first place, of their own duty, and of 
the pledge which they have given to Christ and to 
his Church ; and, secondly, they are animated to hold 
on in the course upon which they have felicitously 
entered. 

" Since that most reverend man, James Arminius 
(who has been very celebrated for several years 
past, during which time he has applied his mind tc 
the study of sacred literature), hath proved at great 
length to all of us his singular and extensive knowl- 
edge of, and proficiency in, sacred literature and 
orthodox theology — not only in a private examina- 
tion, but likewise in some theses on the Nature of 
God, to which he was publicly the respondent, and 
answered in the most learned manner the arguments 
and objections of all who spoke — we have there- 
fore adjudged him to be a person highly deserving 
of being honoured by our public testimonials, and 
of being recommended by us to all men of piety. 
Wherefore, in virtue of the authority granted to us 
by that most excellent prince and lord of glorious 
memory, William of Nassau, Prince of Orange, 



HIS DIPLOMA. 145 

and Governor of Holland and Zealand, &c, and also 
by the illustrious the States of Holland and Zealand, 
we have designated and declared, and do hereby 
designate and declare, the before-mentioned James 
Arminius a Doctor in Divinity ; and may this act of 
ours be happy and auspicious to the Republic and 
to the Christian Church ! We have also granted to 
him, and hereby do grant, the faculty [or permis- 
sion] to interpret the Holy Scriptures, both in pub- 
lic and private, to teach the mysteries of religion, 
to dispute and write about the doctrines of the Chris- 
tian faith, to preside over such disputations, to solve 
theological questions, and to exercise all those pub- 
lic and solemn acts which appertain to the true 
functions of a Doctor in Theology ; and, moreover, 
to enjoy all the privileges, immunities, and prerog- 
atives which belong, either by law or usage, to such 
a station and dignity as that of Doctor of Divinity. 

" For the fullest proof of all these things, we have 
caused to be presented to him these public testimo- 
nials, corroborated with the Great Seal of the Uni- 
versity which has been affixed to them, and sub- 
scribed by the hand of the secretary. 

" Given at Leyden, in Holland, in the year of our 
Lord one thousand six hundred and three, on the tenth 
day of July, New Style. 

" (Signed), B. Vulcanius." 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE MANNER IN WHICH HE DISCHARGED THE DUTIES OF 
HIS OFFICE. 

Arminius had no sooner entered upon the duties 
of theological professor than he found certain abu- 
ses had crept in among the students, which he felt 



146 DUTIES OF PROFESSORS. 

it to be his duty to correct. Instead of attending to 
the Sacred Scriptures in their plain and obvious 
meaning, the theological students were involving 
themselves in intricate and perplexing questions, 
too abstruse for the human mind to grasp, and which 
have always been a source of thriftless controversy. 
After a consultation with his colleagues, he endeav- 
oured to correct this evil, by leading their minds to 
a more manly and substantial method of study, and 
thus withdrawing them from those airy flights of 
fancy which tend to fill the mind with vanity in- 
stead of filling it with sound knowledge. His ob- 
ject was to bring them back from their erratic wan- 
derings to the pure fountain of truth, the Holy Scrip- 
tures, and to teach them that Christianity did not 
consist in curious speculations, but in that love to 
God and man which is the fulfilling of the law. He 
endeavoured to impress upon them the necessity of 
" fleeing youthful lusts," of overcoming the allure- 
ments of the world, and to distinguish themselves 
by heavenly-mindedness, by patience in suffering 
the will of God, and a steady perseverance in every 
good work. He frequently urged upon them the 
doctrine which the Lord Jesus enforced upon his 
disciples, that u except your righteousness shall ex- 
ceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, 
ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of God." 
These commendable efforts produced an excellent 
effect upon the minds of the young gentlemen who 
were intrusted to his care, by leading them to a 
contemplation of those truths which are calculated 
to expand the mind with accurate views of God, 
of his revealed truth, and to affect the heart with 
a sense of his unbounded goodness. 

In consequence of the freedom of opinion al- 
lowed in the Republic of Holland, it appears that a 
great variety of religious sentiments were put afloat, 
by which means the Reformed Church became much 
agitated with intestine divisions, which led to long 



CONTROVERSY. 147 

and perplexing discussions. These discussions were 
not always conducted in the most friendly manner ; 
and hence motives were impeached, words misun- 
derstood, and alienation of affection ensued. Over 
this distracted state of the Church Arminius mourn- 
ed, often expressing his grief with sighs and tears, 
and strove in every possible way to heal the divis- 
ions, and thereby to remove the cause of scandal 
from among them. 

In those days, when the controversy with the cor- 
rupt Church of Rome was conducted with great 
fc pirit, as it was generally believed that she did not 
seek to promote the cause of Christ, but her own 
temporal aggrandizement, at the expense of the 
rights and liberties of the people, though Arminius 
had been accused of having too favourable an 
opinion of this fallen church, he nevertheless gave 
sufficient evidence of the falsity of this charge, by 
the most unambiguous declaration of his abhorrence 
of her abominations, of her persecutions of Prot- 
estants, and of the numerous acts of barbarism 
towards all who departed from her absurd dogmas 
and immoral practices. He therefore by no means 
considered it proper to consult her on any question 
of ecclesiastical regulation, or to attempt any argu- 
ments with her lordly priesthood for the promotion 
of the cause of Christianity. 

But for the healing of the divisions which had 
sprung up among the Reformed Churches, he labour- 
ed with all his might, well knowing that love to God 
and man would enable him to surmount all difficul- 
ties, and even if he could not accomplish the object 
of his pursuit, he should not lose the reward of his 
labour. He was very far, therefore, from resorting 
to any coercive measures for the purpose of pro- 
ducing unity of faith, but by acts of brotherly love, 
by a free interchange of sentiments, and by mutual 
concessions on minor points of difference. 

It would seem, however, that, notwithstanding 



148 CONTROVERSY. 

all his conscientious care and diligence, reports 
were circulated, particularly by Gomarus, who 
could not behold the rising fame of Arminius with- 
out a feeling of jealousy, injurious to his charac- 
ter, and which, if true, would impeach his ortho- 
doxy. To refute these calumnies, and to wipe off 
the stain which they were intended to cast upon his 
reputation, he presented a petition to the States of 
Holland, in which he earnestly besought their lord- 
ships, whom he acknowledged the supreme rulers 
of the country, to take cognizance of his course, and 
to devise some method by which an early opportu- 
nity might be afforded him to vindicate himself 
against these unfounded reports. In compliance 
with this request, says one of his biographers, " The 
States of Holland and West Friezland, with the 
intention of preventing a greater evil, summoned 
Gomarus and Arminius to appear at the Hague, and 
to enter into a conference together, attended by four 
of the ministers who had been present at the prepar- 
atory convention in 1607 : these four ministers were 
Becius, Uitenbogardt, Helmichius, and Herman Ger- 
ards. The two professors were to be heard before 
the counsellors of the Supreme Court, whose in- 
structions were, to see if by means of an amicable 
conference on sacred subjects instituted between 
those two learned individuals, the dissension sub- 
sisting between them might be healed ; and the right 
honourable counsellors, who on this occasion acted 
as moderators, had to report the result to the 
states. But the deputies of the churches adopted 
every method to thwart the design of their mighti- 
nesses, and to hinder the execution of this decree. 
Instead of the proposed conference, which was ap- 
pointed to be held before the Supreme Court, they 
requested that a provincial synod might be con- 
vened, in which this ecclesiastical cause might come 
under the cognizance and judgment of ecclesiastical 
persons who had been deputed by the churches to 



CONFERS WITH GOMARUS. 149 

form a decision upon it. The reply of the states 
was, that the cognizance of the cause was the only- 
matter that had been committed to the jurisdiction 
of the Supreme Court, and that the judgment or 
decision to be formed upon it might afterward be 
obtained either from a national or a provincial 
synod. 

" On the day appointed for this conference, after 
the right honourable president of the assembly had 
introduced the business by a few prefatory obser- 
vations on the decree of the states and the design 
which their lordships had in view by instituting this 
kind of proceeding, he commanded Gomarus to de- 
clare if any dissension existed between him and his 
colleague, and, without any kind of evasion, to ex- 
plain its nature. Gomarus replied, e That he was 
truly devoted to the service of the illustrious states, 
and confessed that the present assembly of the Su- 
preme Court consisted of famous and prudent men, 
whose province, nevertheless, was not to decree 
judgment on sacred subjects, but on those only 
which were civil and secular ; that this business did 
not belong to their jurisdiction, but to that of the 
churches, and that the cognizance of it could not be 
commenced in that place without a manifest preju- 
dice both to his cause and to that of the churches ; 
that God must receive that which is God's, and to 
Caesar must be rendered that which is Caesar's ; but 
that it was better to obey God than men.' The 
president replied, • That no doubt existed respecting 
the religious nature of the cause which was then 
about to be discussed, and that he and his honour- 
able colleagues had by no means been wishful to 
arrogate to themselves the authority to decide upon 
it, the sole province assigned to them being that of 
taking cognizance of it.' They entreated Gomarus, 
therefore, once more, l that he would not refuse to 
engage in the explanation of his cause, and to dis- 
close it to them.' Gomarus began to invent ex- 
N2 



150 CONFERS WITH GOMARUS. 

cuses, and artfully to postpone the consideration of 
the business, by contending, at first, ' that it would 
be unjust in him to undertake the province of accu- 
ser against Arminius, with whom he had hitherto 
lived on terms of familiarity; that he was likewise 
entirely ignorant of those things which had been written 
by his colleague, or which had been delivered in his pub- 
lic lectures or in his private classes ; but, as Arminius 
had himself occasionally introduced the mention of 
certain doubts and scruples which he felt, the pref- 
erable course would be for him now to produce 
those scruples. As it respected himself, he cher- 
ished no doubts concerning any of the articles of 
Christian doctrine as they were comprehended and 
explained in the Confession and Catechism, and he 
felt no desire to raise a controversy about any of 
them.' Being urged by the court to deliver a more 
express reply, he was at length, after all these dis- 
ingenuous subterfuges, reduced to the necessity of 
confessing, ' That there undoubtedly was some latent 
dissension between him and Arminius ; but that it 
seemed to him very injudicious, and prejudicial to 
the liberty of the churches, then and in that place to 
give an explanation of its nature and origin.' 

" Arminius, who had during the whole of the pre- 
ceding discussion been silent, then declared, 'It 
was matter of astonishment to him, after various 
reports about his heterodoxy had been circulated 
among all the churches, and after the conflagration 
which he had excited was stated to have flamed 
forth even above the roofs of the Church, that still 
such a great difficulty was here pretended to exist 
concerning the nature of this dissension and the. 
doctrine which he had taught in contradiction to the 
formularies of consent. It was wrong to exact 
such a declaration from him, and in this manner to 
have the materials for his accusation procured from 
his own mouth. No person would produce what it 
was that he had taught privately or in public against 



CONFERS WITH GOxMARUS. 151 

the Confession and Catechism. It was scarcely 
equitable that he should declare the scruples which 
he entertained, unless he received the commands of 
the supreme magistrate to that effect, who had al- 
ready determined on having the Confession and 
Catechism reviewed in a National Synod.' Goma- 
rus immediately undertook to prove that Arminius 
had taught such an opinion concerning a primary 
article of the Christian faith (the justification of 
man before God) as was at variance with the Holy 
Scriptures and with the Confession of the Dutch 
churches. To sustain this charge, he produced the 
very words which Arminius had employed both in 
his propositions on Justification, and in a certain let- 
ter to a friend (Hippolytus a Collibus, ambassador 
from the Elector Palatine to the States General), in 
which he had asserted, ' that, in the Justification of 
man before God. the righteousness of Christ is not 
imputed for righteousness ; but that faith, or the act 
of believing, is, through the gracious acceptance [or 
act of acquittance] of God, that righteousness of ours 
by which we are justified.' After Gomarus had de- 
sired these expressions to be inserted among the 
recorded transactions of that meeting, Arminius, on 
the other hand, dictated the following expressions 
for insertion in the same acts : ■ For the purpose of 
declaring how abhorrent my mind is to every desire 
of unnecessary contention or dispute, I here pro- 
fess, that I esteem as true, pious, and holy, that 
doctrine of Justification before God which is made 
from faith to faith, or of the imputation of faith for 
righteousness, and which is contained in the Har- 
mony of Confessions from all the churches ; that I 
do now approve and always have approved of it, 
and that I perfectly acquiesce in it. And, in order 
to afford a more luminous testimony of this my in- 
tense desire for the general peace of the Reformed 
and Protestant Churches, I here sacredly affirm 
that, if an occasion should present itself that would 



152 CONFERS WITH GOMARUS. 

require a statement in writing of my opinion on 
this point, both with regard to the matter itself and 
to the phrases used and the manner of treating it 
(which opinion I am prepared with firm arguments 
to defend against all objections), I will with pleas- 
ure submit that written statement to the definitive 
sentence of all those churches, so that, after a suffi- 
ciently legitimate cognizance of the cause has been 
taken according to the resolution of the supreme 
magistrates of my country, if those churches shall 
consider that such an opinion and the author of it are 
not to be tolerated, I will instantly recede from that 
sentiment, on account of being better instructed, or 
I will desist from all farther exercise of my func- 
tions.' When Arminius had made this manly avow- 
al, and when Gomarus still refused to acquiesce in 
it, and could not be induced to confess that our au- 
thor held the same sentiments on this subject as 
those of the Reformed Church, Arminius made 
another attempt to testify the peaceable spirit with 
which he was animated ; and, to avoid all vain and 
useless disputes, he exclaimed, ' Behold, here are 
my sentiments concerning this doctrine, conveyed 
in the very expressions of the Heidelberg Cate- 
chism.' Then reciting the exact words of the Cat- 
echism, he immediately subjoined, ' I believe in my 
heart, and confess with my mouth, that I shall pass 
as a righteous man before God only by faith in Je- 
sus Christ : so that, though my conscience may ac- 
cuse me, not only of having grievously sinned 
against all the commands of God, but also of not 
having observed one of them, and of being likewise 
inclined to all evil ; yet, provided I embrace these 
benefits with real confidence of heart, the perfect 
satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ 
will be imputed to me and bestowed on me, with- 
out any merit of my own, and purely from the mer- 
cy of God : exactly as though I had never commit- 
ted any sin, and as if no stain or taint had adhered 



GOMARUS CRITICISES. 153 

to me ; nay, more than this, as though I had per- 
fectly performed that obedience which Christ has 
performed for me : not because I can please God 
by the dignity of my faith, but because the sole sat- 
isfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ are 
made my righteousness before God ; but I am not 
able to embrace this righteousness, and to apply it 
to myself, in any other manner than by faith.' 

" What form of words could be more sound and 
evangelical 1 Yet this scriptural confession did not 
satisfy Gomarus, who began to criticise the expres- 
sions of Arminius, by saying ' that he had laid down 
faith as the object or matter of justification, and yet 
had made the righteousness of Christ the meritori- 
ous cause of justification.' When Gomarus made 
this remark, he seemed to feel some complacency 
within himself, as though he had performed some 
mighty achievement, or had unravelled a great se- 
cret. But to the great majority of the members of 
the Supreme Court his objection wore a different 
aspect : for they thought that it amounted to nothing 
better than a mere logomachy, a strife about words ; 
because it was evident, from the statements of both 
these learned professors, 'that neither of them 
placed the cause of man's justification by faith in the 
dignity of that ivork, but in the grace of God.' When 
Gomarus seemed desirous to extort from Arminius 
his sentiments on some other controverted points, 
it was the pleasure of the Supreme Court, who per- 
ceived the iniquity of such a course of proceeding, 
to command each of them to deliver to their lord- 
ships, in the form of written propositions, his indi- 
vidual opinion on each of the principal articles, re- 
specting which any controversy had ever been rais- 
ed between them ; and then for each to write his 
own animadversions and strictures on the written 
propositions of his antagonist. This equitable plan 
was pursued ; and, after Gomarus and Arminius had 
delivered to their lordships these two documents, 



154 FINAL DECISION. 

with their mutual animadversions and strictures ap- 
pended, the conference was terminated. The mem- 
bers of the Supreme Court perused both these wri- 
tings, and afterward gave the following decision, as 
a just report of the whole matter, to the States of 
Holland : ' As far as we have been able to perceive 
from this conference, we judge that the controver- 
sies which have arisen between these two profes- 
sors are not of very great importance ; they relate 
principally to some disputes concerning predestina- 
tion, which are rather too subtle, and which may 
either be omitted, or may pass without animadver- 
sion, by means of a mutual toleration.' 

" After receiving the report, the states were pleas- 
ed, on the same day, to summon before them, in the 
great hall of the public sessions, both the professors 
and the four attendant ministers ; and the most hon- 
ourable the Lord-advocate of Holland, addressing 
himself to these ecclesiastical personages, declared, 
among other things, his gratitude to God because the 
controversy did not at all concern the chief points of the 
Christian religion. He then proceeded, in the name 
of that noble assembly, ' to thank both of them for 
this renewed and faithful attempt to obtain a mutual 
good understanding, and enjoined them to secrecy 
respecting the transactions of that meeting, to speak 
and publish nothing contrary to the sacred writings 
or to the Confession and Catechism, and to direct 
all their counsels and energies to procure the peace 
of the churches and of the University.' He also 
promised ' that the states would endeavour to have 
these controversies decided by a national synod, or 
by a provincial one, provided the other could not be 
speedily convened.' " 

With a view to give him an opportunity to explain 
himself at large on all the points in dispute between 
him and Gomarus, the supreme magistrates were 
convened at the Hague on the 30th of October, 1608, 
before whom he delivered the following declaration 
of his sentiments. 



REMARKS ON HIS ORATION. 155 

"Arminius pronounced this oration in the Dutch 
language, with such a happy admixture of freedom 
and modesty, as commanded admiration and ap- 
plause from all his honourable auditors. It was 
afterward translated into Latin, but not by the au- 
thor himself, as is very evident from the striking 
difference in the style, and in several of the epithets 
employed. But, while some persons thought that 

HE HAD SPOKEN NOTHING EXCEPT WilAT WAS NECESSARY 

to his just defence, others, who cannot be reckoned 
in the number of his friends, accused him of appear- 
ing too bold and confident : such an injurious inter- 
pretation did the latter give to the fearlessness of 
innocence and integrity ! In a letter which Armin- 
ius addressed, on the 10th of December, the same 
year, to Doctor Sebastian Egberts, one of the prin- 
cipal magistrates of Amsterdam, he writes in the 
following terms concerning this declaration : 4 In 
my oration before the states, I am said to have em- 
ployed not only the shield, but the sword, and the 
latter beyond all the bounds of moderation. The 
occasion required me to use the sword, because I 
had to give my opinion about certain dogmas which 
I thought to be chargeable with error. I did give 
that opinion, and expressed my serious disapproba- 
tion of the dogma of predestination, as it is at pres- 
ent taught among us ; because, while my conscience 
commands me not to keep silence when that doctrine is 
made a topic of discussion, it likewise dictates to me 
that it is worthy of reprehension. But I observed great 
moderation ; for I suppressed many things on which 
I might have dilated ; and that most noble assembly, 
I am persuaded, will form a similar judgment re- 
specting my oration. Is it any cause of wonder, if 
to those who wished me to be quite silent, I seem 
to have been carried beyond the limits of moderation 
in my speech 1 But let these persons produce a 
single word uttered by me which bears any mark 
of vehemence, or the violation of temperance or dis- 



156 REMARKS ON HIS ORATION. 

cretion. It is necessaiy that they should do this ; 
because, as long as calumny chooses such great lat- 
itude for its excursions, it cannot be detected. The 
words of the man who sits in judgment, who forms 
an estimate, or who speaks concerning me, are 
these : 4> He is a robber and a scoundrel ;" " He is 
a contumacious, refractory, and heretical fellow!'' 
But let the arguments be produced by which each 
of these charges may be proved, that every one who 
hears them may have an opportunity to judge of 
their truth. I made such a proposal as this to Hel- 
michius, of pious memory, in our last conference 
together at Amsterdam ; but he was silent about it 
in the presence of Uitenbogardt, who was amazed 
that nothing was produced in the form of proof, al- 
though it had been declared that I laboured under 
a suspicion of heresy with many people while I re- 
sided in that city. I understand a certain person 
among you is of opinion that I will not, according 
to the orders which I have received, deliver in wri- 
ting what I spoke on a late occasion. That person, 
however, is mistaken ; for I have already delivered 
it in a written form, and with such fidelity as will 
cause every one, though indulging the greatest ma- 
levolence against me, to desire nothing more ample 
and compendious. I have omitted no portion of 
what was then spoken ; but have explained a few 
things a little more fully, upon which 1 was prevent- 
ed from enlarging by the brevity of the time allotted 
to that purpose. I am not in the least afraid of any 
consequences that can ensue from this circumstance. 
Indeed, there is no necessity for entertaining any 
such fear, which on my part would be very unbe- 
coming ; because those who ambitiously aspire in 
our church to exercise dominion over the faith of 
others are not able to kill even the body.' Towards 
the close of the letter, he mentions the base slanders of 
some individuals, who had invented seven curious theo- 
logical articles and circulated them m his name, and then 



CITED BEFORE THE STATES OF HOLLAND. 157 

alludes to the advice of his friends : ' They think such 
a fair occasion ought not to be neglected. Some 
people, it seems, act in this manner, that they may 
irritate me to write ; but, when I once break through 
that ice, a most extensive sea will be opened to me 
in which to pursue my course. Do not suppose 
that, when speaking thus, I employ the language of 
impatience : those who possess the most intimate 
knowledge of our affairs wonder and are astonished 
at my rigid silence, when so many and such fair oc- 
casions have been offered, and now daily present 
themselves, for defending my own cause and that of 
truth. The only circumstance which prevents me 
from adopting their suggestions is, the hope I cher- 
ish concerning the repentance of my brethren.' 
What a noble and benevolent spirit is here displayed I 
Every reader of sensibility will admire the breathing of 
the same spirit of dignified forbearance in the contents 
of the subjoined pages ; in which, with a manly elo- 
quence, our author gives an exact and scriptural ac- 
count of his creed, especially in those important points 
in reference to which it had been, vainly attempted to 
accuse him of heterodoxy. 

" To the noble and most potent the States of Holland 

and West Friezland, my supreme Governors. 
" My most noble, potent, wise, and prudent Lords, 

" After the conference which, by the command of 
your mightinesses, was convened here at the Hague, 
between Gomarus and myself, had been held in the 
presence of four ministers and under the superin- 
tendence of their lordships the counsellors of the 
Supreme Court, the result of that meeting was re- 
ported to your highnesses. Some allusion having 
been made in that report to the nature and impor- 
tance of the controversy between us, it soon after- 
ward seemed good to your highnesses to cite each 
of us, with those four ministers, to appear openly 
before you in your honourable assembly, and in that 




158 CITED EEFORE THE STATES OF HOLLAND. 

public manner to intimate to all of us whatever you 
then judged to be expedient. After we had appeared 
before your mightinesses, Gomarus affirmed * that 
the controversy between him and me was of such 
immense importance, that, with the opinions which 
I professed, he durst not appear in the presence of 
his Maker.' He likewise asserted, ' That, unless 
some mode of prevention were promptly devised, 
the consequence would be, that the various prov- 
inces, churches, and cities of our native land, and 
even the citizens themselves, would be placed in a 
state of mutual enmity and variance, and would rise 
up in arms against each other.' To all those alle- 
gations I then made no reply, except ' that I cer- 
tainly was not conscious of entertaining any such 
atrocious sentiments in religion as those of which 
he had spoken ; and I confidently expressed a hope 
that I should never afford either cause or occasion 
for schism and separation in the Church of God, or 
in our common country.' In confirmation of which, 
I added, ' That I was prepared to make an open 
and bond fide declaration of all my sentiments, 
views, and designs on every subject connected with 
religion, whenever I might receive a summons to 
appear before this august assembly, and even prior 
to my retiring at that time from your presence.' 
Your highnesses having since deliberated upon the 
proposal and offer which I then made, deem it prop- 
er now to summon me before you, for the purpose 
of redeeming, in this hall, the pledge which I had 
previously given. To fulfil that promise, I now ap- 
pear in this place, and will with all due fidelity dis- 
charge my duty, whatever it be that is demanded of 
me in relation to this affair. 

" Yet, since a sinister report has, for a long time, 
been industriously and extensively circulated about 
me, not only among my own countrymen, but also 
among foreigners ; in which report I am represent- 
ed to have hitherto refused, after frequent solicita- 



CONFERENCE PROPOSED. 159 

tions, to make an open profession of my sentiments 
on the matter of religion and my designs concern- 
ing it ; and since this unfounded rumour has al- 
ready operated most injuriously against me. I im- 
portunately entreat to be favoured with your gra- 
cious permission to make an ingenuous and open 
declaration of all the circumstances which relate to 
this business, before I proceed to the discussion of 
other topics. 

" 1. Account of a Conference proposed to me, but which 
I refused, 

" On the 30th of June, in the year 1605, three dep- 
uties of the Synod of South Holland came to me at 
Leyden ; they were Francis Lansbergius, Libertus 
Fraxinus, and Daniel Dolegius, of pious memory, 
each of them the minister of their respective church- 
es at Rotterdam, the Hague, and Delft. Two mem- 
bers of the Synod of North Holland accompanied 
them : John Bogardus, minister of the Church at 
Haerlem, and James Rolandus, of the Church at 
Amsterdam. They told me ' they had* heard that, 
at the regular meetings of certain of their classes, 
in the examination to which candidates for holy or- 
ders must submit prior to their admission into the 
Christian ministry, some of the students of the Uni- 
versity of Leyden had returned such answers to the 
questions propounded to them as were of a novel 
description, and contrary to the common and receiv- 
ed doctrine of the churches. Those novelties,' it 
was said, ' the young men affirmed to have been in- 
stilled into them while under my tuition.' In such 
a situation of affairs, they desired me i to engage in 
a friendly conference with them, by which they 
might have it in their power to perceive if there 
were any truth in this charge, and that they might 
afterward be the better qualified to consult the in- 
terests of the Church.' To these suggestions I re- 
plied, 'that I could by no means approve of the 



160 REFUSED BY HIM. 

mode of proceeding which they recommended ; for 
such a course would inevitably subject me to fre- 
quent and almost incessant applications for a friend- 
ly interview and conversation, if any one thought it 
needful to pester me in that manner whenever a 
student made use of a new or uncommon answer, 
and in excuse pretended to have learned it from 
me.' The following, therefore, appeared to me a 
plan of greater wisdom and prudence : As often as 
a student, during his examination, returned any an- 
swer which, according to his affirmation, had been 
derived from my instructions, provided the brethren 
considered such answer to stand in opposition to 
the Confession and Catechism of the Belgic church- 
es, they should immediately confront that student 
with me ; and, for the sake of investigating such an 
affair, I was ready to proceed at my own expense 
to any town, however distant, which it might please 
the brethren to appoint for that purpose. The ob- 
vious consequence of this method would be, that, 
after it had been resorted to a few times, it would 
cause it clearly and evidently to appear whether the 
student's assertion were the truth or only a cal- 
umny. 

" But when Francis Lansbergius, in the name of 
the rest of his brethren, continued to urge and so- 
licit a conference, I gave it as a farther reason why 
I could not see the propriety of entering into a con- 
ference with them, that they appeared before me 
in the character of deputies, who had afterward to 
render to the Synod an account of all their proceed- 
ings ; and that I was not, therefore, at liberty to ac- 
cede to their wishes, unless, not only with the 
knowledge and consent, but at the express com- 
mand of others, who were my superiors, and whom 
I was equally with them bound to obey. Besides, 
it would be connected with no small risk and danger 
to me, if, in the relation of the event of our confer- 
ence which they might hereafter give to the synod, 



HE OFFERS ONE. 161 

I should leave that relation entirely to their faith- 
fulness and discretion. They had likewise no cause 
for demanding anything of this kind from me, who 
was quite unconscious of having propounded a single 
doctrine, either at Leyden or Amsterdam, that was 
contrary to the Word of God or to the Confession 
and Catechism of the churches in the Low Coun- 
tries : for no such accusation had ever yet been 
brought against me by any person ; and I was con- 
fident no attempt would be made to substantiate 
against me a charge of this description, if he who 
preferred such a charge were bound, at the same 
time, either to establish it by proofs, or, in failure 
of his proofs, to confess his uncharitable offence. 

" 2. An offer, on my part, of a Conference with these 
Deputies, which they refused. 

" I then told these five gentlemen, ' that, notwith- 
standing all this, if they would consent to relinquish 
the title of Deputies, and would each, in his own 
private capacity, enter into a conference with me, 
I was ready at that very moment to engage in it.' 
The conditions which I proposed to be mutually ob- 
served by us were these : (1.) That they should ex- 
plain their opinions on every single article, and then 
I would explain mine ; (2.) They should adduce their 
proofs, and I would adduce mine ; and (3.) That they 
should at last attempt a refutation of my sentiments 
and reasons, and I would, in return, try to refute 
theirs. (4.) If in this manner either party could af- 
ford complete satisfaction to the other, the result 
would be agreeable ; but, if neither party could sat- 
isfy the other, then no mention of the subjects dis- 
cussed in our private conference, or of its unfavour- 
able termination, should be made in any place or 
company whatever, until the whole affair should be 
referred to a national synod.' 

" But when to this proposition they had given a 
direct refusal, we should have separated from each 
02 



162 ANOTHER APPLICATION. 

other without farther discourse, had I not requested 
' that they would offer a conference in the same 
manner to Gomarus, as well as to Trelcatius of pi- 
ous memory, because it did not appear to me that I 
had given them any cause for making such a de- 
mand upon me, rather than upon either of my two 
colleagues.' At the same time I enforced my con- 
cluding expressions with several arguments, which 
it would be too tedious now to repeat in the pres- 
ence of your mightinesses. When I had finished, 
the deputies replied, ' that they would comply with 
my request, and would wait on the two other pro- 
fessors of divinity, and make them a similar offer.' 
And, prior to their departure from Leyden, they call- 
ed and assured me that they had, in this particular, 
fulfilled their promise. 

" This, then, is the first of the many requests that 
have been preferred to me. It was the cause of 
much conversation at the time when it occurred, 
for many persons spoke about it. Some of them 
related it imperfectly, and in a manner very differ- 
ent from what were the real circumstances of the 
whole transaction ; while others suppressed many 
essential particulars, and studiously concealed the 
counter-proposal which 1 had tendered to the depu- 
ties, and the strong reasons which I produced in its 
support. 

"3. Another application is made to me. 

" A few days afterward, that is, on the 28th of July, 
in the same year, 1605, a request of a similar char- 
acter was likewise presented to me, in the name of 
the Presbytery of the Church of Leyden ; but on 
this condition — that if I approved of it, other per- 
sons, whom such a request equally concerned, should 
also be summoned before the same ecclesiastical 
tribunal ; but if this offer did not receive my appro- 
bation, nothing farther should be attempted. But 
when I had intimated that I did not clearly perceive 






REQUEST OF THE DEPUTIES. 163 

how this request could possibly obtain approval 
from me — and when I had subjoined my reasons, 
which were of the same description as those which 
I had employed on the preceding occasion — -my an- 
swer was perfectly satisfactory to Bronchovius, the 
burgomaster [of Leyden], and Merula, of pious 
memory, both of whom had come to me in the name 
of that church of which they were the elders, and 
they determined to abandon all ulterior proceedings 
in that business. 

" 4. The Request of the Deputies of the Synod. of South 
Holland to their Lordships, the Visiters of the Uni- 
versity, and the Answer which they received. 

" On the ninth of November, in the same year 
[1605], the deputies of the Synod of South Holland, 
Francis Lansbergius, Festus Hommius, and their 
associates, presented nine questions to their lord- 
ships the Curators of the University of Leyden. 
These were accompanied with a petition ' that the 
professors of divinity might be commanded to an- 
swer them.' But the curators replied, 'that they 
could on no account sanction by their consent the 
propounding of any questions to the professors of 
divinity ; and if any one supposed that something 
was taught in the University contrary to truth and 
rectitude, that person had it in his power to refer 
the matter of his complaint to a national synod, 
which, it was hoped, would at the earliest opportu- 
nity be convened, when it would come regularly 
under the cognizance of that assembly, and receive 
the most ample discussion.' When this answer 
had been delivered, the deputies of the synod did 
not hesitate earnestly to ask it as a particular fa- 
vour, ' that, by the kind permission of their lord- 
ships, they might themselves propose those nine 
questions to the professors of divinity, and might, 
without troubling their lordships, personally inform 
themselves what answer, of his own accord, and 



164 FOURTH REQUEST, 

without reluctance, each of those three divines 
would return.' But, after all their pleading, they 
were unable to obtain the permission which they 
so strenuously desired. The whole of this unsuc- 
cessful negotiation was conducted in such a clan- 
destine manner, and so carefully concealed from me, 
that I was totally ignorant even of the arrival of 
those reverend deputies in our city ; yet, soon after 
their departure, I became acquainted with their mis- 
sion and its failure. 

" 5. A Fourth Request of the same kind. 

"After this, a whole year elapsed before I was 
again called to an account about such matters. But 
I must not omit to mention, that in the year 1607, a 
short time before the meeting of the Synod of South 
Holland, at Delft, John Bernards, minister of the 
church at Delft, Festus Hommius, minister of Ley- 
den, and Dibbetius, of Dort, were deputed by the 
synod to come to me and inquire what progress I 
had made in the refutation of the Anabaptists. 
"When I had given them a suitable reply concerning 
that affair, which was the cause of much conversa- 
tion among us on both sides, and when they were 
just on the point of taking their leave, they begged 
1 that I would not hesitate to reveal to them what- 
ever views and designs I had formed on the subject 
of religion, for the purpose of their being communi- 
cated to the synod, by the deputies, for the satis- 
faction of the brethren.' But I refused to comply 
with their entreaties, ' because the desired explana- 
tion could not then be given, either conveniently or 
to advantage; and I did not know any place in 
which it was possible to explain these matters 
with greater propriety than in the national synod ; 
which, according to the resolution of their most no- 
ble and high mightinesses the States-General, was 
expected very shortly to assemble.' I promised 
* that I would use every exertion that I might be 



PRIVATE REQUEST. 165 

enabled in that assembly openly to profess the 
whole of my sentiments ; and that I would employ 
none of that alleged concealment or dissimulation 
about anything of which they might then complain.' 
I concluded by saying, ' that if I were to make my 
profession before them as deputies of the Synod of 
South Holland, I could not commit to their fidelity 
the relation of what might transpire, because, in mat- 
ters of this description, every one was the most com- 
petent interpreter of his own meaning.' After these 
mutual explanations we parted from each other. 

" 6. The same request is privately repeated to me, and 
my answer to it. 

" In addition to these different applications, I was 
privately desired, by certain ministers, ' not to view 
it as a hardship to communicate my views and in- 
tentions to their colleagues, the brethren assembled 
in synod ;' while others entreated me ' to disclose 
my views to them, that they might have an oppor- 
tunity of pondering and examining them by them- 
selves, in the fear of the Lord ;' and they gave me 
an assurance i that they would not divulge any 
portion of the desired communication.' To the 
first of these two classes I gave in common my 
usual answer, ' that they had no reason for demand- 
ing such an account from me rather than from oth- 
ers.' But to one of these ministers, who was not 
among the last [of the two kinds of applicants], I 
proposed a conference at three different times, con- 
cerning all the articles of our religion ; in which we 
might consider and devise the best means that could 
possibly be adopted for establishing the truth on the 
most solid foundation, and for completely refuting 
every species of falsehood. It was also a part of 
my offer, that such conference should be held in the 
presence of certain of the principal men of our 
country ; but he did not accept of this condition. 
To the rest of the inquirers I returned various an- 



166 ERROR CORRECTED. 

swers ; in some of which I plainly denied what they 
requested of me. and in others I made some disclo- 
sures to the inquirers : my sole rule in making such 
a distinction was the more intimate or distant de- 
gree of acquaintance which I had with the parties. 
In the mean time, it frequently happened that, a 
short time after I had thus revealed anything in 
confidence to an individual, it was slanderously rela- 
ted to others ; how seriously soever he might have 
asserted in my presence that what I had then im- 
parted to him was, according to his judgment, agree- 
able to the truth, and although he had solemnly 
pledged his honour that he would on no account 
divulge it. 

" 7. What occurred relative to the same subject in the 
Preparatory Convention. 
"To these it is also necessary to add a report 
which has been spread abroad by means of letters, 
not only within these provinces, but far beyond 
their confines : it is, ' That in the preparatory con- 
vention which was held at the Hague, in the month 
of June, 1607, by a company of the brethren, who 
were convened by a summons from their high migh- 
tinesses the States-General ; after I had been asked, 
in a manner the most friendly, to consent to a dis- 
closure, before the brethren then present, of my 
views on the subject of the Christian faith, I refused ; 
and although they promised to endeavour, as far as 
it was possible, to give me satisfaction, I still de- 
clined to comply with their wishes.' But since I 
find by experience that this distorted version of the 
matter has procured for me not a few proofs of ha- 
tred and ill-will from many persons, who think that 
far more honourable deference ought to have been 
evinced by me towards that assembly, which was a 
convention of divines from each of the United Prov- 
inces, I perceive a necessity is thus imposed upon 
me to commence at the very origin of this transac- 



ERROR CORRECTED. 167 

tion, when I am about to relate the manner in which 
it occurred : 

" Before my departure from Leyden for the con- 
vention at the Hague which has just been mention- 
ed, five articles were put into my hands, said to 
have been transmitted to some of the provinces, to 
have been perused by certain ministers and ecclesi- 
astical assemblies, and considered by them as doc- 
uments which embraced my sentiments on several 
points of religion. Those points of which they pre- 
tended to exhibit a correct delineation were pre- 
destination, the fall of Adam, free-will, original sin, 
and the eternal salvation of infants. When I had 
read the whole of them, I thought that I plainly per- 
ceived, from the style in which they were written, 
who was the author of them ; and as he was then 
present (being one of the number summoned on that 
occasion), I accosted him on this subject, and em- 
braced that opportunity freely to intimate to him 
that I had good reasons for believing those articles 
to have been of his composition. He did not make 
any attempt to deny the correctness of this suppo- 
sition, and replied, ' that they had not been distribu- 
ted precisely as my articles, but as those on which the 
students of Leyden had held disputations.'' In answer 
to this remark, I told him, ' Of one thing he must be 
very conscious, that, by the mere act of giving cir- 
culation to such a document, he could not avoid 
creating a grievous and immediate prejudice against 
my innocence, and that the same articles would 
soon be ascribed to me, as if they had been my 
composition ; when, in reality,' as I then openly 
affirmed, ' they had neither proceeded from me, nor 
accorded with my sentiments, and, as well as I 
could form a judgment, they appeared to me to be 
at variance with the Word of God.' 

" After he and I had thus discoursed together in the 
presence of only two other persons, I deemed it ad- 
visable to make some mention of this affair in the 



168 ERROR CORRECTED. 

convention itself, at which certain persons attended 
who had read those very articles, and who had, ac- 
cording to their own confession, accounted them as 
mine. This plan I accordingly pursued ; and just 
as the convention was on the point of being dissolv- 
ed, and after the account of our proceedings had 
been signed, and some individuals had received in- 
structions to give their high mightinesses the States- 
General a statement of our transactions, I request- 
ed the brethren ' not to consider it an inconvenience 
to remain a short time together, for I had some- 
thing which I was desirous to communicate.' They 
assented to this proposal, and I told them ' that I had 
received the five articles which I held in my hand, 
and the tenour of which I briefly read to them ; that 
I discovered they had been transmitted, by a mem- 
ber of that convention, into different provinces ; that 
I was positive concerning their distribution in Zea- 
land and the diocese of Utrecht ; and that they had 
been read by some ministers in their public meet- 
ings, and were considered to be documents which 
comprehended my sentiments.' Yet, notwithstand- 
ing, I protested to the whole of that assembly, with 
a good conscience and as in the presence of God, 
1 that those articles were not mine, and did not con- 
tain my sentiments.' Twice I repeated this solemn 
asseveration, and besought the brethren ' not so read- 
ily to attach credit to reports that were circulated 
concerning me, nor so easily to listen to anything 
that was represented as proceeding from me, or that 
had been rumoured abroad to my manifest injury.' 

" To these observations a member of that conven- 
tion answered, ' that it would be well for me, on this 
account, to signify to the brethren what portion of 
those articles obtained my approbation and what por- 
tion I disavowed, that they might thus have an oppor- 
tunity of becoming acquainted in some degree with 
my sentiments.' Another member urged the same 
reasons ; to which I replied, ' that the convention 



REASONS FOR REFUSING A CONFERENCE. 169 

had not been appointed to meet for such a purpose, 
that we had already been long enough detained to- 
gether, and that their high mightinesses the States- 
General were now waiting for our determination.' 
In that manner we separated from each other, no 
one attempting any longer to continue the conver- 
sation ; neither did all the members of the conven- 
tion express a joint concurrence in that request, nor 
employ any kind of persuasion with me to prove 
that such an explanation was, in their judgment, quite 
equitable. Besides, according to the most correct 
intelligence which I have since gained, some of 
those who were then present declared, afterward, 
' that it was a part of the instructions which had 
been previously given to them, not to enter into any 
conference concerning doctrine ; and that, if a dis- 
cussion of that kind had arisen, they must have in- 
stantly retired from the convention.' These sever- 
al circumstances, therefore, prove that I was very 
far from being ' solicited by the whole assembly' to 
engage in the desired explanation. 

" 8. My Reasons for refusing a Conference. 

" Most noble and potent lords, this is a true nar- 
ration of those interviews and conferences which 
the brethren have solicited, and of my continued re- 
fusal : from the whole of which, every person may, 
in my opinion, clearly perceive that there is no 
cause whatever for preferring an accusation against 
me on account of my behaviour throughout these 
transactions ; especially when he considers their 
request with the manner in which it was delivered, 
and at the same time my refusal, with the reasons 
for it ; but this is still more obvious from my coun- 
ter-proposal. 

" 1. Their request, which amounted to a demand 
upon me for a declaration on matters of faith, was 
not supported by any reasons, as far as I am ena- 
bled to form a judgment ; for I never furnished a 
P 



170 REASONS FOR REFUSING A CONFERENCE. 

cause to any man why he should require such a 
declaration from me rather than from other people, 
by my having taught anything contrary to the Word 
of God, or to the Confession and Catechism of the 
Belgic churches. At no period have I ceased to 
make this avowal, and 1 repeat it on this occasion. 
I am likewise prepared to consent to an inquiry be- 
ing instituted into this my profession, either by a 
provincial or a national synod, that the truth of it 
may by that means be made yet more apparent ; if 
from such an examination it may be thought possi- 
ble to derive any advantage. 

" 2. The manner in which their request was deliv- 
ered proved of itself to be a sufficient obstacle, be- 
cause it was openly made by a deputation. I was 
also much injured by the way in which the synod 
prejudged my cause ; for we may presume that it 
would not through its deputies invite any man to a 
conference, unless he had given strong grounds for 
such an interview. For this reason I did not con- 
sider myself at liberty to consent to a conference of 
this description, lest I should, by that very act, and 
apparently through a consciousness of guilt, have 
confessed that I had taught something that was 
wrong or unlawful. 

" 3. The reasons of my refusal were these ; 

" First. Because, as I am not subject to the juris- 
diction either of the North Holland Synod, or that 
of South Holland, but have other superiors to whom 
I am bound to render an account of all my con- 
cerns, I could not consent to a conference with 
deputies except by the advice of those superiors, 
and at their express command ; especially since a 
conference of this kind was not incumbent on me 
in consequence of the ordinary discharge of my duty. 
It was also not obscurely hinted by the deputies 
that the conference [in 1605] would by no means be 
a private one ; but this they discovered in a manner 
sufficiently intelligible, when they refused to enter 



REASONS FOR REFUSING A CONFERENCE. 171 

into a conference with me, divested of their title of 
'deputies.' I should therefore have failed in obe- 
dience to my superiors, if I had not rejected a con- 
ference which was in this manner proposed. I wish 
the brethren would remember this fact — that al- 
though every one of our ministers is subject as a 
member to the jurisdiction of the particular synod 
to which he belongs, yet not one of them has hith- 
erto dared to engage in a conference without the 
advice and permission of the magistrates under 
whom he is placed ; that no particular magistrates 
have ever allowed any minister within their juris- 
diction to undertake a conference with the deputies 
of the churches, unless they had themselves pre- 
viously granted their consent ; and that it was fre- 
quently their wish to be present at such conference, 
in the persons of their own deputies. Let it be rec- 
ollected what transpired at Leyden in the case of 
Coolhasius [Koolhaes], at Gouda with Herman Her- 
berts, at Horn in the case of Cornelius Wiggeri 
[Wiggertson], and at Medenblick in the case of Tako 
[Sybrants]. 

" The second reason by which I was dissuaded 
from a conference is this; I perceived that there 
would be a great inequality in the conference which 
was proposed, when, on the contrary, it is necessary 
that the greatest equality should exist between the 
parties who are about to confer together on any 
subject. For (1.) They came to me armed with 
public authority ; while, with respect to myself, 
everything partook of a private character. And I 
am not so ignorant in these matters as not to per- 
ceive the powerful support which that man enjoys 
who transacts any business under the sanction of 
the public authority. (2.) They were themselves 
three in number, and had with them two deputies of 
the Synod of North Holland. On the other hand, I 
was alone, and destitute not only of all assistance, 
but also of persons who might act as witnesses of 



172 REASONS FOR REFUSING A CONFERENCE. 

the proceedings that were then to have commenced, 
and to whom they as well as myself might have 
safely intrusted our several causes. (3.) They 
were not persons at their own disposal, but com- 
pelled to depend on the judgment of their superiors ; 
and they were bound most pertinaciously to con- 
tend for those religious sentiments which their su- 
periors had within their own minds determined to 
maintain. To such a length was this principle 
extended, that they were not even left to their own 
discretion to admit the validity of the arguments 
which I might have adduced, however cogent and 
forcible they might have found them to be, and even 
if they had been altogether unanswerable. From 
these considerations, I could not see by what means 
both parties could obtain that mutual advantage 
which ought properly to accrue from such a confer- 
ence. I might have gained some beneficial result 
from it ; because I was completely at liberty, and, 
by employing my own conscience alone in forming 
a decision, I could, without prejudice to any one, 
have made those admissions which my convic- 
tion of the truth might have dictated to me as cor- 
rect. Of what great importance this last circum- 
stance might be, your lordships would have most 
fully discovered by experience, had any of you been 
present in the preparatory convention, as the repre- 
sentatives of your own august body. 

" My third reason is, that the account which they 
would have rendered to their superiors after the 
conference could not but have operated in many 
ways to my injury, whether I had been absent or 
present at the time when they delivered their re- 
port. (I.) Had I been absent, it might easily have hap- 
pened, either through the omission or the addition 
of certain words, or through the alteration of others 
in regard to their sense or order, that some fact or 
argument would be repeated in a manner very dif- 
ferent from that in which it really occurred. Such 



REASONS FOR REFUSING A CONFERENCE. 173 

an erroneous statement might also have been made, 
either through the inconsiderateness which arises 
from a defect in the intellect, through the weakness 
of an imperfect memory, or through a prejudice of 
the affections. (2.) And, indeed, by my presence I 
could with difficulty have avoided or corrected this 
inconvenience ; because a greater degree of credit 
would have been given to their own deputies than 
to me, who was Only a private individual. 

" Lastly. By this means I should have conveyed 
to that assembly [the provincial synod] a right and 
some kind of prerogative over me ; which, in refer- 
ence to me, it does not actually possess ; and which, 
consistently with that office whose duties I dis- 
charge, it would not be possible for me to transfer 
to the synod without manifest injustice towards 
those persons under whose jurisdiction it has been 
the pleasure of the general magistracy of the land 
to place me. Imperious necessity, therefore, as 
well as equity, demanded of me to reject the terms 
on which this conference was offered. 

" 4. But however strong my sentiments might be 
on this subject, I gave those deputies an opportunity 
of gaining the information which they desired : if it 
had been their wish to accept the private conference 
which I proposed, they would have become possess- 
ed of my sentiments on every article of the Chris- 
tian faith. Besides, this conference would have been 
much better adapted to promote our mutual edifica- 
tion and instruction than a public one could be ; 
because it is customary in private conferences for 
each person to speak everything with greater fa- 
miliarity and freedom than when all the formalities 
of deputations are observed, if I may so express 
myself. Neither had they the least reason to man- 
ifest any reluctance on this point : because every 
one of them was at liberty (if he chose) to enter 
into a private conference between him and me alone. 
But when I made this offer to all and to each of 
P2 



174 COMPLAINT ANSWERED. 

them, I added, as one of my most particular stipula- 
tions, that whatever the discussions might be which 
arose between us, they should remain within our 
bosoms, and no particle of them should be divulged 
to any person living. If on these terms they had 
consented to hold a conference with me, I entertain 
not the smallest doubt that we should either have 
given each other complete satisfaction, or we should 
at least have made it apparent that, from our mutu- 
al controversy, no imminent danger could easily 
arise to injure either that truth which is necessary 
to salvation, piety, or Christian peace and amity. 

"9. The complaint concerning my refusal to make a dec- 
laration of my sentiments does not agree with the 
rumours concerning me which are in general circula- 
tion. 

" But omitting all farther mention of those trans- 
actions, I am not able entirely to satisfy myself by 
what contrivance these two complaints appear con- 
sistent with each other : (1.) That I refuse to make 
a profession of my sentiments ; and yet (2.) invec- 
tives are poured forth against me both in foreign 
countries and at home, as though I am attempting 
to introduce into the Church and into the Christian 
religion novel, impure, and false doctrines. If I do 
not openly profess my sentiments, from what can 
their injurious tendency be made evident 1 If I do 
not explain myself, by what method can I be intro- 
ducing false doctrines 1 If they be mere groundless 
suspicions that are advanced against me, it is un- 
charitable to grant them entertainment, or at least 
to ascribe to them such great importance. 

" But it is cast upon me as a reproach, ' that I do 
certainly disclose a few of my opinions, but not all 
of them ; and that, from the few which I thus make 
known, the object at which I aim is no longer ob- 
scure, but becomes very evident.' 
" In reference to this censure, the great consider- 



COMPLAINT ANSWERED. 175 

ation ought to be, ' Can any of those sentiments 
which I am said to have disclosed be proved to 
stand in contradiction either to the Word of God, 
or the Confession of the Belgic churches V (1.) If 
it be decided that they are contrary to the Confession, 
then I have been engaged in teaching something in 
opposition to a document, ; against which never to 
propound any doctrine,' was the faithful promise 
which I made when I signed it with my own handt 
if, therefore, I be found thus criminal, I ought to be 
visited with merited punishment. (2.) But if it can 
be proved that any of those opinions are contrary to 
the Word of God, then I ought to experience a great- 
er degree of blame and to suffer a severer punish- 
ment, and compelled either to utter a recantation 
or to resign my office, especially if those heads of 
doctrine which I have uttered are of such a descrip- 
tion as to be notoriously prejudicial to the honour 
of God and the salvation of mankind. (3.) But if 
those few sentiments which I am accused of having 
advanced are found neither to be at variance with 
the Word of God nor with the Confession which I 
have just mentioned, then those consequences which 
are elicited from them, or seem dependant on them, 
cannot possibly be contradictory either to the Word 
of God or to the Belgic Confession ; for, according 
to the rule of the schoolmen, ' If the consectaries or 
consequences of any doctrine be false, it necessari- 
ly follows that the doctrine itself is also false, and 
vice versa.' The one of these two courses, there- 
fore, ought to have been pursued towards me — either 
to have instituted an action against me, or to have 
given no credit to those rumours. If I might have 
my own choice, the latter course is that which I 
should have desired ; but of the former I am not at 
all afraid ; for, how extensively soever and in all 
directions those Thirty-one Articles which con- 
cern me have been dispersed to my great injury and 
disparagement, and though they have been placed 



176 FEARS TO DISCLOSE HIS VIEWS. 

in the hands of several men of great eminence, they 
afford sufficient internal testimony, from the want 
of sense and of other requisites visible in their very 
composition, that they are charged upon me through 
a total disregard to justice, honour, and conscience. 

M 10. The principal reasons why I durst not disclose to 

the deputies my opinions on the subject of religion. 

" But some person will perhaps say, ' For the 
sake of avoiding these disturbances, and partly in 
order by such a measure to give some satisfaction 
to a great number of ministers, you might undoubt- 
edly have made to your brethren an open and sim- 
ple declaration of your sentiments on the whole 
subject of religion, either for the purpose of being 
yourself maturely instructed in more correct prin- 
ciples, or that they might have been able in an op- 
portune manner to prepare themselves for a mutual 
conference.' 

" But I was deterred from adopting that method, 
on account of three inconveniences of which I was 
afraid : 

" First. I w r as afraid that if I had made a pro- 
fession of my sentiments, the consequence would 
have been, that an inquiry would be instituted on 
the part of others with regard to the manner in 
which an action might be framed against me from 
those premises. Secondly. Another cause of my 
fear was, that such a statement of my opinions 
would have furnished matter for discussion and ref- 
utation, in the pulpits of the churches and the scho- 
lastic exercises of the Universities. Thirdly. I was 
also afraid that my opinions would have been trans- 
mitted to foreign universities and churches, in hopes 
of obtaining from them a sentence of condemnation, 
and the means of oppressing me. That I had very 
weighty reasons to fear every one of these conse- 
quences together, it would not be difficult for me 
clearly to demonstrate from the [Thirty-one] Ar- 



ON PREDESTINATION. 177 

ticles, and from the writings of certain individ- 
uals. 

" With respect to ' the personal instruction and 
edification' which I might have hoped to derive 
from such a disclosure, it is necessary to consider 
that not only I, but many others, and even they 
themselves, have peculiar views which they have 
formed on religious topics ; and, therefore, that such 
instruction cannot be applied to any useful purpose, 
except in some place or other where we may all 
hereafter appear together, and where a definitive 
sentence, as it is called, both may and must be pro- 
nounced. With respect to ' the opportune and be- 
fitting preparation which my brethren ought, in the 
mean time, to be making for a conference,' I declare 
that it will at that time be most seasonable and proper 
when all shall have produced their views, and disclosed 
them before a whole assembly, that thus an account 
may be taken of them all at once, and they may be 
considered together. 

" Since none of these objections have any existence in 
this august assembly, I proceed to the declaration of 
my sentiments. 

"Having in this manner refuted all those objec- 
tions which have been made against me, I will now 
endeavour to fulfil my promise, and to execute those 
commands which your lordships have been pleased 
to lay upon me. I entertain a confident persuasion 
that no prejudice will be created against me or my 
sentiments from this act, however imperfectly I 
may perform it, because it has its origin in that obe- 
dience which is due from me to this noble assemby, 
next to God, and according to the Divine pleasure. 

"I. On Predestination. 
" The first and most important article in religion on 
which I have to offer my views, and which for many 
years past has engaged my attention, is the Predes- 



178 



ON PREDESTINATION. 



tination of God, that is, the election of men to salva- 
tion, and the reprobation of them to destruction. Com- 
mencing with this article, I will first explain what 
is taught concerning it, both in discourses and wri- 
tings, by certain persons in our churches, and in the 
University of Leyden. I will afterward declare 
my own views and thoughts on the same subject, 
while I show my opinion on what they advance. 

" On this article there is no uniform and simple 
opinion among the teachers of our churches, but 
there is some variation in certain parts of it in which 
they differ from each other. 

" 1 . The first opinion which I reject, but which is espous- 
ed by those [Supralapsarians] who assume the very 
highest ground of this predestination. 
" The opinion of those who ascend to the greatest 
height on this point, as it is generally contained in 
their writings, is to this effect : 

" ' I. God, by an eternal and immutable decree, has 
predestinated from among men (whom he did not 
consider as being then created, much less as being 
fallen) certain individuals to everlasting life, and 
others to eternal destruction, without any regard 
whatever to righteousness or sin, to obedience or 
disobedience, but purely of his own good pleasure, 
to demonstrate the glory of his justice and mercy ; 
or (as others assert) to demonstrate his saving 
grace, wisdom- and free, uncontrollable power. 

u l II. In addition to this decree, God has preor- 
dained certain determinate means which pertain to 
its execution, and this by an eternal and immutable 
decree. These means necessarily follow by virtue 
of the preceding decree, and necessarily bring him 
who has been predestinated to the end which has 
been foreordained for him. Some of these means 
belong in common both to the decree of election and 
that of rejection, and others of them are specially 
restricted to the one decree or to the other. 



ON PREDESTINATION. 179 

" ' III. The means common to both the decrees are 
three : The First is, The creation of man in the up- 
right [or erect] state of original righteousness, or 
after the image and likeness of God in righteousness 
and true holiness. The Second is, The permission 
of the fall of Adam, or the ordination of God that 
man should sin, and become corrupt or vitiated. 
The Third is, The loss or the removal of original 
righteousness and of the image of God, and a being 
concluded under sin and condemnation. 

" ' IV. For, unless God had created some men, he 
would not have had any upon whom he might either 
bestow eternal life or superinduce everlasting death. 
Unless he had created them in righteousness and 
true holiness, he would himself have been the au- 
thor of sin, and would, by this means, have possess- 
ed no right either to punish them to the praise of 
his justice, or to save them to the praise of his mer- 
cy. Unless they had themselves sinned, and by the 
dement of sin had rendered themselves guilty of 
death, there would have been no room for the dem- 
onstration either of justice or of mercy. 

" ' V. The means preordained for the execution of 
the decree of election are also these three : The 
First is, The preordination or the giving of Jesus 
Christ as a Mediator and a Saviour, who might by 
his merit deserve [or purchase] for all the elect, and 
for them only, the lost righteousness and life, and 
might communicate them by his own power [or vir- 
tue]. The Second is, The call [or vocation] to faith 
outwardly by the Word, but inwardly by his Spirit, in 
the mind, affections, and will, by an operation of 
such efficacy that the elect person, of necessity, 
yields assent and obedience to the vocation, in so 
much that it is not possible for him to do otherwise 
than believe and be obedient to this vocation. From 
hence arise justification and sanctification through 
the blood of Christ and his Spirit, and from them the 
existence of all good works ; and all that manifest- 



180 ON PREDESTINATION. 






ly by means of the same force and necessity. The 
Third is that which keeps and preserves the elect 
in faith, holiness, and a zeal for good works ; or it 
is the gift of perseverance, the virtue of which is 
such, that believing and elect persons not only do 
not sin with a full and entire will, or do not fall 
away totally from faith and grace, but it likewise is 
neither possible for them to sin with a full and per- 
fect will, nor to fall away totally or finally from 
faith and grace. 

" 4 VI. The last two of these means [vocation and 
perseverance] belong only to the elect who are of 
adult age. But God employs a shorter way to salva- 
tion, by which he conducts those children of believers 
and saints who depart out of this life before they ar- 
rive at years of maturity ; that is, provided they be- 
long to the number of the elect (who are known to 
God alone), for God bestows on them Christ as their 
Saviour, and gives them to Christ to save them by his 
blood and Holy Spirit, without actual faith and per- 
severance in it [faith] ; and this he does according 
to the promise of the covenant of grace, / will be a 
God unto you, and unto your seed after you. 

" ' VII. The means pertaining to the execution of 
the decree of reprobation to eternal death are part- 
ly such as peculiarly belong to all those who are re- 
jected and reprobate, whether they arrive at years 
of maturity or die before that period, and they are 
partly such as are proper only to some of them. 
The mean that is common to all the reprobate is 
desertion in sin, by denying to them that saving grace 
which is sufficient and necessary to the salvation of 
any one. This negation [or denial] consists of two 
parts : for, in the first place, God is not willing that 
Christ should die for them [the reprobate] or become 
their Saviour, and this neither in reference to the 
antecedent will of God (as some persons call it), nor 
in reference to his sufficient ivill, or the value of the 
price of reconciliation ; because this price was not 



PREDESTINATION. 181 

offered for reprobates, either with respect to the de- 
cree of God or its virtue and efficacy. (2.) But the 
other part of this negation [or denial] is, that God is 
unwilling to communicate the Spirit of Christ to 
reprobates ; yet, without such communication, they 
can neither be made partakers of Christ nor of his 
benefits. 

" ' VIII. The mean which belongs properly only 
to some of the reprobates is obduration [or the act of 
hardening], which befalls those of them who have 
attained to years of maturity, either because they 
have very frequently and enormously sinned against 
the law of God, or because they have rejected the 
grace of the Gospel. (1.) To the execution of the 
first species of induration [or hardening] belong the 
illumination of their conscience by means of knowl- 
edge, and its conviction of the righteousness of the 
law : for it is impossible that this law should not ne- 
cessarily detain them in unrighteousness, to render 
them inexcusable. (2.) For the execution of the 
second species of induration, God employs a call by 
the preaching of his Gospel, which call is ineffica- 
cious and insufficient, both in respect to the decree 
of God, and to its issue or event. This calling is 
either only an external one, which it is neither in 
their desire nor in their power to obey; or it is 
likewise an internal one, by which some of them may 
be excited in their understandings to accept and be- 
lieve the things which they hear ; but yet it is only 
with such a faith as that with which the devils are 
endowed when they believe and tremble I Others of 
them are excited and conducted still farther, so as 
to desire in a certain measure to taste the heavenly 
gift. But the latter are, of all others, the most un- 
happy, because they are raised up on high, that they 
may be brought down with a heavier fall ; and this 
fate it is impossible for them to escape, for they 
must, of necessity, return to their vomit, and depart 
or fall away from the faith. 
Q 



182 PREDESTINATION, 

" ' IX. From this decree of Divine election and 
reprobation, and from this administration of the 
means which pertain to the execution of both of 
them, it follows that the elect are necessarily sa- 
ved, it being impossible for them to perish ; and that 
the reprobate are necessarily damned, it being im- 
possible for them to be saved ; and all this from the 
absolute purpose [or determination] of God, which 
is altogether antecedent to all things, and to all 
those causes which are either in things themselves, 
or can possibly result from them.' 

" These opinions concerning predestination are 
considered, by some of those who advocate them, 
to be the foundation of Christianity, salvation, and 
of its certainty. On these sentiments, they sup- 
pose, ' is founded the sure and undoubted consola- 
tion of all believers, which is capable of rendering 
their consciences tranquil ; and on them also de- 
pends the praise of the grace of God, so that if any 
contradiction be offered to this doctrine, God is ne- 
cessarily deprived of the glory of his grace, and then 
the merit of salvation is attributed to the free-will 
of man and to his own powers and strength — which 
ascription savours of Pelagianism.' 

"These, then, are the causes which are offered why 
the advocates of these sentiments labour with un- 
common anxiety to retain the purity of such a doc- 
trine in their churches, and why they oppose them- 
selves to all those innovations which are at variance 
with them. 

"2. My Sentiments on the preceding scheme of Predes- 
tination. 
" But, for my own part — to speak my sentiments 
with freedom, and yet with a salvo in favour of a 
better judgment — I am of opinion that this doctrine 
of theirs contains many things that are both false 
and impertinent, and at an utter disagreement with 
each other ; all the instances of which the present 



PREDESTINATION. 183 

time will not permit me to recount, but I will sub- 
ject it to an examination only in those parts which 
are most prominent and extensive. I shall there- 
fore propose to myself four principal heads, which 
are of the greatest importance in this doctrine ; and 
when I have, in the first place, explained of what 
kind they are, I will afterward declare more fully 
the judgment and sentiments which I have formed 
concerning them. They are the following : 

" ' I. That God has absolutely and precisely de- 
creed to save certain particular men by his mercy 
or grace, but to condemn others by his justice ; and 
to do all this without having any regard in such de- 
cree to righteousness or sin, obedience or disobedi- 
ence, which could possibly exist on the part of one 
class of men or of the other. 

" ' II. That, for the execution of the preceding de- 
cree, God determined to create Adam, and all men 
in him, in an upright state of original righteousness ; 
besides which, he also ordained them to commit sin, 
that they might thus become guilty of eternal con- 
demnation, and be deprived of original righteousness. 

" ' III. That those persons whom God has thus 
positively willed to save, he has decreed not only 
to salvation, but also to the means which pertain to 
it (that is. to conduct and bring them to faith in Christ 
Jesus, and to perseverance in that faith) ; and that 
he also, in reality, leads them to these results by a 
grace and power that are irresistible, so that it is 
not possible for them to do otherwise than believe, 
persevere in faith, and be saved. 

" ' IY. That to those whom, by his absolute will, 
God has foreordained to perdition, he has also de- 
creed to deny that grace which is necessary and 
sufficient for salvation, and does not, in reality, con- 
fer it upon them ; so that they are neither placed in 
a possible condition nor in any capacity of believ- 
ing or of being saved.' 

" After a diligent contemplation and examination 



184 PREDESTINATION. 

of these four heads, in the fear of the Lord, I make 
the following declaration respecting this doctrine of 
predestination : 

" 3. / reject this Predestination for the folloiving rea- 
sons. 
" I. Because it is not the foundation of Christianity, 

of SALVATION, nor of its CERTAINTY. 

" 1. It is not the foundation of Christianity : (1.) 
For this predestination is not that decree of God by 
which Christ is appointed by God to be the Saviour, 
the Head, and the Foundation of those who will be 
made heirs of salvation. Yet that decree is the 
only foundation of Christianity. (2.) For the doc- 
trine of this predestination is not that doctrine by 
which, through faith, we as lively stones are built 
up into Christ, the only Corner-stone, and are in- 
serted into him as the members of the body are join- 
ed to their head. 

"2. It is not the foundation of salvation : (1.) For 
this predestination is not that decree of the good- 
pleasure of God in Christ Jesus on which alone our 
salvation rests and depends. (2.) The doctrine of 
this predestination is not the foundation of salva- 
tion ; for it is not ' the power of God to salvation to 
every one that believeth :' because through it ' the 
righteousness of God' is not ' revealed from faith to 
faith.' 

" 3. Nor is it the foundation of the certainty of sal- 
vation: for that is dependant upon this decree, ' They 
who believe, shall be saved :' I believe, therefore I 
shall be saved. But the doctrine of this predestina- 
tion embraces within itself neither the first nor the 
second member of the syllogism. 

" This is likewise confessed by some persons in 
these words : ' We do not wish to state that the 
knowledge of this [predestination] is the foundation 
of Christianity or of salvation, or that it is necessa- 
ry to salvation in the same manner as the doctrine 
of the Gospel,' &c. 



PREDESTINATION. 1 85 

44 II. This doctrine of predestination comprises within 
it neither the whole nor any part of the Gospel : for, ac- 
cording to the tenour of the discourses delivered hy 
John and Christ, as they are described to us by the 
evangelists, and according to the doctrine of the 
apostles and Christ after his ascension, the Gospel 
consists partly of an injunction to repent and believe, 
and partly of a promise to bestow forgiveness of sins, 
the Spirit of grace, and life eternal. But this predes- 
tination belongs neither to the injunction to repent 
and believe nor to the annexed promise. Nay, this 
doctrine does not even teach what kind of men in 
general God has predestinated, which is properly 
the doctrine of the Gospel ; but it embraces within 
itself a certain mystery, which is known only to 
God, who is the Predestinator, and in which mystery 
are comprehended what particular persons and how 
many he has decreed to save and to condemn. From 
these premises I draw a farther conclusion, that this 
doctrine of predestination is not necessary to salva- 
tion, either as an object of knowledge, belief, hope, 
or performance. A confession to this effect has 
been made by a certain learned man in the theses 
which he has proposed for discussion on this sub- 
ject, in the following words : k Wherefore the Gos- 
pel cannot be simply termed the book or the revelation 
of predestination, but only in a relative sense : be- 
cause it doth not absolutely denote either the mat- 
ter of the number or the form ; that is, it neither de- 
clares how many persons in particular, nor (with a 
few exceptions) who they are, but only the descrip- 
tion of them in general, whom God has predestina- 
ted.' 

" III. This doctrine was never admitted, decreed, or 
approved in any Council, either general or particular, 
for the first 600 years after Christ. — 1. Not in the 
General Council of Nice, in which sentence was 
given against Arius, and in favour of the Deity and 
Consubstantiality of the Son of God : not in the first 
Q2 



1 86 PREDESTINATION. 

Council of Constantinople, in which a decree was 
passed against Macedonius, respecting- the Deity of 
the Holy Spirit : not in the Council of Ephesus, 
which determined against Nestorius, and in favour 
of the Unity of the Person of the Son of God : not 
in that of Chalcedon, which condemned Eutyches, 
and determined ' that in one and the same person 
of our Lord Jesus Christ there were two distinct na- 
tures, which differ from each other in their essence :' 
not in the second Council of Constantinople, in 
which Peter, bishop of Antioch, and Anthymus, 
bishop of Constantinople, with certain other per- 
sons, were condemned for having asserted ' that the 
Father had likewise suffered 1 [as well as the Son] : 
nor in the third Council of Constantinople, in which 
the Monothelites were condemned for having assert- 
ed ■ that there was only one will and operation in 
Jesus Christ.' 

" 2. But this doctrine was not discussed or con- 
firmed in particular councils, such as that of Jeru- 
salem, Orange, or even that of Mela in Africa, which 
was held against Pelagius and his errors, as is ap- 
parent from the articles of doctrine which were then 
decreed both against his person and his false opin- 
ions. 

" But so far was Augustine's doctrine of predesti- 
nation from being received in those councils, that 
when Celestinus, the Bishop of Rome, who was his 
contemporary, wrote to the bishops of France and 
condemned the doctrines of the Pelagians, he con- 
cluded his epistle in these words : ' But as we dare 
not despise, so neither do we deem it necessary to 
defend, the more profound and difficult parts of the 
questions which occur [in this controversy], and 
which have been treated to a very great extent 
by those who opposed the heretics : because we be- 
lieve that, whatever the writings according to the 
fore-mentioned rules of the Apostolic See have 
taught us, is amply sufficient for confessing the grace 



PREDESTINATION. 187 

of God, from whose work, credit, and authority not 
a tittle must be subtracted or withdrawn,' &c. In 
reference to the rules which were laid down by 
Celestinus in that epistle, and which had been de- 
creed in the three preceding particular councils, 
we shall experience no difficulty in agreeing together 
about them, especially in regard to those matters 
which are necessary to the establishment of grace 
in opposition to Pelagius and his errors. 

" IV. None of those doctors or divines of the Church 
who held correct and orthodox sentiments for the first 
six hundred years after the birth of Christ, ever brought 
this doctrine forward or gave it their approval. Neither 
was it professed and approved by a single individual 
of those who showed themselves the principal and 
keenest defenders of grace against Pelagius. Of 
this description, it is evident, were St. Jerome, Au- 
gustine, the author of the treatise entitled Be Voca- 
tione Gentium [' The calling of the Gentiles'], Pros- 
per of Aquitaine, Hilary, Fulgentius, and Orosius. 
This is very apparent from their writings. 

" V. It neither agrees nor corresponds with the har- 
mony of those Confessions which were printed and pub- 
lished together in one volume at Geneva, in the name of 
the Reformed and Protestant Churches. If that Har- 
mony of Confessions be faithfully consulted, it will 
appear that many of them do not speak in the same 
manner concerning predestination ; that some of 
them only incidentally mention it ; and that they 
evidently never once touch upon those heads of the 
doctrine which are now in great repute and particu- 
larly urged in the preceding scheme of predestina- 
tion, and which I have already adduced. Nor does 
any single Confession deliver this doctrine in the 
same maimer as it has just now been propounded 
by me. The Confessions of Bohemia, England, and 
Wirtemberg, and the first Helvetian [Swiss] Confes- 
sion, and that of the four cities of Strasbourg, Con- 
stance, Memmingen, and Lindau, make no mention 



1 88 PREDESTINATION. 

of this predestination. Those of Basle and Saxony 
only take a very cursory notice of it in three words. 
The Augustan Confession speaks of it in such a 
manner as to induce the Genevan editors to think 
that some annotation was necessary, on their part, 
to give us a previous warning. The last of the Hel- 
vetian [Swiss] Confessions, to which a great portion 
of the Reformed Churches have expressed their 
assent, and which they have subscribed, likewise 
speaks of it in such a strain as makes me very de- 
sirous to see what method can possibly be adopted 
to give it any accordance with that doctrine of pre- 
destination which I have just now advanced. Yet 
this [Swiss] Confession is that which has obtained 
the approbation of the churches of Geneva and 
Savoy. 

" VI. Without the least contention or cavilling, it 
may very properly be made a question of doubt 
ichether this doctrine agrees with the Belgic Confession 
and the Heidelberg Catechism, as I shall briefly de- 
monstrate. 

" 1. In the 14th article of the Dutch Confession, 
these expressions occur : ; Alan knowingly and will- 
ingly subjected himself to sin. and, consequently, 
to death and cursing, while he lent an ear to the de- 
ceiving words and impostures of the devi],* &c. 
From this sentence I conclude that man did not sin 
on account of any necessity through a preceding decree 
of predestination : which inference is diametrically 
opposed to that doctrine of predestination against 
which I now contend. Then, in the 16th article, 
which treats of the eternal election of God, these 
words are contained : ' God showed himself merci- 
ful, by delivering from damnation, and bv saving, 
those persons whom, in his eternal and immutable 
counsel and according to his gratuitous goodness, 
he chose in Christ Jesus our Lord, without any re- 
gard to their works. And He showed himself just, 
in leaving others in that their fall and perdition into 






PREDESTINATION. 189 

which, they had precipitated themselves.' It is not 
obvious to me how these words are consistent with 
this doctrine of predestination. 

" 2. In the 20th question of the Heidelberg Cate- 
chism, we read: 'Salvation through Christ is not 
given [restored] to all them who had perished in 
Adam, but to those only who are ingrafted into 
Christ by true faith, and who embrace his benefits.' 
From this sentence I infer that God has not absolute- 
ly predestinated any men to salvation ; but that he has in 
his decree considered [or looked upo?i] them as believers. 
This deduction is at open conflict with the first and 
third points of this predestination. In the 54th ques- 
tion of the same Catechism, it is said : ' I believe 
that, from the beginning to the end of the world, the 
Son of God, out of the entire race of mankind, doth, 
by his Word and Spirit, gather or collect unto him- 
self a company chosen unto eternal life, and agree- 
ing together in the true faith.' In this sentence 
* election to eternal life,' and ' agreement in the 
faith,' stand in mutual juxtaposition ; and in such a 
manner, that the latter is not rendered subordinate 
to the former ; which, according to these [Supralap- 
sarian] sentiments on predestination, ought to have 
been done. In that case, the words should have 
been placed in the following order : ' The Son of 
God calls and gathers to himself, by his Word and 
Spirit, a company chosen to eternal life, that they may 
believe and agree together in the true faiths 

" Since such are the statements of our Confession 
and Catechism, no reason whatever exists why 
those who embrace and defend these [Supralap- 
sarian] sentiments on predestination should either 
violently endeavour to obtrude them on their col- 
leagues and on the Church of Christ ; or why they 
should take it amiss, and put the worst construction 
upon it, when anything is taught in the Church or 
University that is not exactly accordant with their 
doctrine, or that is opposed to it. 



190 PREDESTINATION. 

" VII. I affirm that this doctrine is repugnant to the 
nature of God, hut 'particularly to those attributes 
of his nature by which he performs and manages all 
things — his wisdom, justice, and goodness. 

" 1. It is repugnant to his wisdom in three ways. 
(1.) Because it represents God as decreeing some- 
thing for a particular end [or purpose] which neither 
is nor can be good : which is, that God created 
something for eternal perdition to the praise of his 
justice. (2.) Because it states that the object 
which God proposed to himself by this predestina- 
tion was to demonstrate the glory of his mercy 
and justice. But this glory he cannot demonstrate, 
except by an act that is contrary at once to 
his mercy and his justice ; of which description is 
that decree of God in which he determined that man 
should sin and be rendered miserable. (3.) Because 
it changes and inverts the order of the twofold wis- 
dom of God, as it is displayed to us in the Scrip- 
tures. For it asserts that God has absolutely pre- 
determined to save men by the mercy and wisdom 
that are comprehended in the doctrine of the cross 
of Christ, without having foreseen this circumstance, 
that it was impossible for man (and that, truly, 
through his own fault) to be saved by the wisdom 
which was revealed in the law, and which was in- 
fused into him at the period of his creation : when 
the Scripture asserts, on the contrary, that ' it 
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save 
them that believe ;' that is, ' by the doctrine of the 
cross, after that in the wisdom of God the world by 
wisdom knew not God.' — (1 Cor., i., 21.) 

" 2. It is repugnant to the justice of God, not only 
in reference to that attribute denoting in God a love 
of righteousness and a hatred of iniquity, but also i; 
reference to its being a perpetual and constant de 
sire in Him to render to every one that which is hii 
due. (1.) It is at variance with the first of these 
ideas of justice, in the following manner : because 



! 



PREDESTINATION. 191 

it affirms that God has absolutely willed to save 
certain individual men, and has decreed their salva- 
tion without having- the least regard to righteousness 
or obedience. The proper inference from which is, 
that God loves such men far more than his own jus- 
tice [or righteousness]. (2.) It is opposed to the 
second idea of his justice : because it affirms that 
God wishes to subject his creature to misery (which 
cannot possibly have any existence except as the 
punishment of sin), although, at the same time, he 
does not look upon [or consider] the creature as a 
sinner, and therefore as not obnoxious either to 
wrath or to punishment. This is the manner in which 
it lays down the position — that God has willed to 
give to the creature not only something which does 
not belong to it, but which is connected with its 
greatest injury : which is another act directly op- 
posed to his justice. In accordance, therefore, with 
this doctrine, God, in the first place, detracts from 
himself that which is his own [or his right], and then 
imparts to the creature what does not belong to it, 
to its great misery and unhappiness. 

" 3. It is also repugnant to the goodness of God. 
Goodness is an affection [or disposition] in God to 
communicate his own good so far as his justice 
considers and admits to be fitting and proper. But 
in this doctrine the following act is attributed to 
God : that of himself, and induced to it by nothing 
external, he wills the greatest evil to his creatures ; 
and that from all eternity he has preordained that 
evil for them, or predetermined to impart it to them, 
even before he resolved to bestow upon them any 
portion of good. For this doctrine states that God 
willed to damn ; and, that he might be able to do 
this, he willed to create ; although creation is the 
first egress [or going forth] of God's goodness to- 
wards his creatures. How vastly different are such 
statements as these from that expansive goodness 
of God by which he confers benefits not only on the 



192 PREDESTINATION. 

unworthy, but also on the evil, the unjust, and on 
those who are deserving of punishment ! which trait 
of Divine Beneficence in our Father who is in 
heaven, we are commanded to imitate. — (Matt., v., 
45.) 

" VIII. Such a doctrine of predestination is contrary 
to the nature of man, in regard to his having been cre- 
ated after the Divine image in the knowledge of 
God and in righteousness, in regard to his having 
been created with freedom of will, and in regard to 
his having been created with a disposition and apti- 
tude for the enjoyment of life eternal. These three 
circumstances respecting him may be deduced from 
the following brief expressions : ' Do this, and live.' — 
(Rom., x., 5). ' In the day that thou eatest thereof, 
thou shalt surely die.' — (Gen., ii., 17). If man be 
deprived of any of these qualifications, such admo- 
nitions as these cannot possibly be effective in ex- 
citing him to obedience. 

u 1. This doctrine is inconsistent with the Divine 
image, which consists of the knowledge of God and 
holiness ; for according to this knowledge and righ- 
teousness man was qualified and empowered ; he 
was also laid under an obligation to know God, to 
love, worship, and serve him. But by the interven- 
tion, or, rather, by the prevention, of this predestina- 
tion, it was preordained that man should be formed 
vicious, and should commit sin ; that is, that he 
should neither know God, love, worship, nor serve 
him ; and that he should not perform that which, by 
this image of God, he was well qualified and empow- 
ered to do, and which he was bound to perform. 
This is tantamount to such a declaration as the fol- 
lowing, which any one might make : ' God did un- 
doubtedly create man after his own image, in righ- 
teousness and true holiness ; but, notwithstanding 
this, he foreordained and decreed that man should 
become impure and unrighteous, that is, should be 
made conformable to the image of Satan.' 



PREDESTINATION. 193 

"2. This doctrine is inconsistent with the freedom 
of the ivill, in which and with which man was crea- 
ted by God ; for it prevents the exercise of this 
liberty, by binding or determining the will absolute- 
ly to one object ; that is, to do this thing precisely, 
or to do that. God, therefore, according to this 
statement, may be blamed for the one or the other 
of these two things (with which let no man charge 
his Maker!), either for creating man with freedom 
of will, or for hindering him in the use of his own 
liberty after he had formed him a free agent, hi 
+ he former of these two cases, God is chargeable 
with a want of consideration ; in the latter, mutability ; 
and in both, with being injurious to man as well as 
to himself. 

" 3. This predestination is prejudicial to man in 
regard to the inclination and capacity for the eternal 
fruition of salvation, with which he was endowed at 
the period of his creation. For since, by this pre- 
destination, it has been predetermined that the great- 
er part of mankind shall not be made partakers of 
salvation, but shall fall into everlasting condemna- 
tion ; and since this predetermination took place 
even before the decree had passed for creating man, 
such persons are deprived of something for the de- 
sire of which they have been endowed by God with 
a natural inclination. This great privation they 
suffer, not in consequence of any preceding sin or 
demerit of their own, but simply and solely through 
this sort of predestination. 

" IX. This predestination is diametrically opposed to 

THE ACT OF CREATION. 

u 1. For creation is a communication of good ac- 
cording to the intrinsic property of its nature. But 
a creation of this description, whose intent or de- 
sign is to make a way through itself by which the 
reprobation that had been previously determined 
may obtain its object, is not a communication of 
good ; for we ought to form our estimate and judg- 
R 



1 94 PREDESTINATION. 

ment of every good from the mind and intention of 
Him who is the Donor, and from the end to which 
or on account of which it is bestowed. In the pres- 
ent instance, the intention of the Donor would have 
been to condemn, which is an act that could not 
possibly affect any one except a creature ; and the 
end or event of creation would have been the eter- 
nal perdition of the creature. In that case creation 
would not have been a communication of any good, 
but a preparation for the greatest evil, both accord- 
ing to the very intention of the Creator and the ac- 
tual issue of the matter ; and, according to the words 
of Christ, ' It had been good for that man if he had 
never been bom V — (Matt., xxvi., 24.) 

" 2. Reprobation is an act of hatred, and from ha- 
tred derives its origin. But creation does not pro- 
ceed from hatred ; it is not, therefore, a way or 
means, which belongs to the execution of the de- 
cree of reprobation. 

" 3. Creation is a perfect act of God, by which he 
has manifested his wisdom, goodness, and omnipo- 
tence. It is not, therefore, subordinate to the end 
of any other preceding work or action of God. But 
it is rather to be viewed as that act of God which 
necessarily precedes and is antecedent to all other 
acts that he can possibly either decree or undertake. 
Unless God had formed a previous conception of 
the work of creation, he could not have decreed ac- 
tually to undertake any other act ; and, until he had 
executed the work of creation, he could by no means 
have completed any other operation. 

" 4. All the actions of God which tend to the con- 
demnation of his creatures are strange work, or for- 
eign to him, because God consents to them for 
some other cause that is quite extraneous. But 
creation is not an action that is foreign to God, but 
it is proper to Him. It is eminently an action most 
appropriate to Him, and to which he could be moved 
by no other external cause, because it is the very 



PREDESTINATION. 195 

first of the Divine acts ; and, till it was done, nothing 
could have any actual existence except God him- 
self, for everything else that has a being came into 
existence through this action. 

" 5 If creation be the ways and means through 
which God willed the execution of the decree of his 
reprobation, he was more inclined to will the act of 
reprobation than that of creation ; and he conse- 
quently derived greater satisfaction from the act of 
condemning certain of his innocent creatures than 
in the act of their creation. 

" 6. Lastly. Creation cannot be a way or means 
of reprobation according to the absolute purpose of 
God ; because, after the creation was completed, it 
was in the power of man still to have remained obe- 
dient to the Divine commands, and not to commit 
sin ; to render this possible, while God had, on one 
part, bestowed on him sufficient strength and power, 
he had also, on the other, placed sufficient impedi- 
ments : a circumstance most diametrically opposed 
to a predestination of this description. 

"X. This doctrine is at open hostility with the na- 
ture of eternal life, and the titles by which it is 
signally distinguished in the Scriptures ; for it is 
called 'the inheritance of the sons of God' (Tit., 
iii., 7) ; but those alone are the sons of God, accord- 
ing to the doctrine of the Gospel, ' who believe in 
the name of Jesus Christ' (John, i., 12). It is also 
called 'the reward of obedience' (Matt., v., 12); 
and of ' the labour of love' (Heb., vi., 10) ; ' the rec- 
ompense of those who fight the good fight and who 
run well — a crown of righteousness,' &c. — (Rev., ii., 
10. — 2 Tim., iv., 7, 8.) God, therefore, has not, from 
his own absolute decree, without any consideration 
or regard whatever to faith and obedience, appoint- 
ed to any man, or determined to appoint to him, life 
eternal. 

" XI. This predestination is also opposed to the na- 
ture of eternal death, and to those appellations by 



1 96 PREDESTINATION. 

which it is described in Scripture ; for it is called 
' the wages of sin' — (Rom., vi., 23) ; ' the punishment 
of everlasting destruction, which shall be recom- 
pensed to them that know not God, and that obey- 
not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ' (2 Thess., 
i., 8, 9) ; ' the everlasting fire prepared for the devil 
and his angels' (Matt., xxv., 41) ; ' a fire which shal] 
devour the enemies and adversaries of God.' — (Heb., 
x., 27.) God, therefore, has not, by any absolute de- 
cree without respect to sin and disobedience, pre- 
pared eternal death for any person. 

" XII. This predestination is inconsistent with the 

NATURE AND PROPERTIES OF SIN, in tWO Ways .* (1.) Be- 

cause sin is called ' disobedience' and ' rebellion,' 
neither of which terms can possibly apply to any 
person who, by a preceding Divine decree, is placed 
under an unavoidable necessity of sinning. (2.) Be- 
cause sin is the meritorious cause of damnation. 
But the meritorious cause which moves the Divine 
will to reprobate is according to justice ; and it in- 
duces God, who holds sin in abhorrence, to will 
reprobation. Sin, therefore, which is a cause, can- 
not be placed among the means by which God ex- 
ecutes the decree or will of reprobation. 

M XIII. This doctrine is likewise repugnant to the 
nature of Divine grace, and, as far as its powers per- 
mit, it effects its destruction. Under whatever spe- 
cious pretences it may be asserted that ' this kind 
of predestination is most admirably adapted, and 
quite necessary for the establishment of grace,' yet 
it destroys it in three ways : 

" 1. Because grace is so attempered and com- 
mingled with the nature of man as not to destroy 
within him the liberty of his will, but to give it a 
right direction, to correct its depravity, and to allow 
man to possess his own proper motions ; while, on 
the contrary, this predestination introduces such a 
species of grace as takes away free-will, and hin- 
ders its exercise. 



PREDESTINATION. 1 97 

11 2. Because the representations of grace which 
the Scriptures contain are such as describe it capa- 
ble of 'being resisted' (Acts, vii., 51), and 'received 
in vain' (2 Cor., vi., 1) ; and that it is possible for 
man to avoid yielding his assent to it ; and to re- 
fuse all co-operation with it. — (Heb., xii., 15. — Matt., 
xxiii., 37. — Luke, vii., 30.) While, on the contrary, 
this predestination affirms that grace is a certain 
irresistible force and operation. 

" 3. Because, according to the primary intention 
and chief design of God, grace conduces to the good 
of those persons to whom it is offered and by whom 
it is received : while, on the contrary, this doctrine 
drags along with it the assertion that grace is of- 
fered even to certain reprobates, and is so far com- 
municated to them as to illuminate their understand- 
ings and to excite within them a taste for the heav- 
enly gifts, only for this end and purpose, that, in 
proportion to the height to which they are eleva- 
ted, the abyss into which they are precipitated may 
be the deeper, and their fall the heavier ; and that 
they may both merit and receive the greater per- 
dition. 

" XIV. The doctrine of this predestination is injurious 
to the glory of God, which does not consist of a 
declaration of liberty or authority, nor of a demon- 
stration of anger and power, except to such an extent 
as that declaration and demonstration may be con- 
sistent with justice, and with a perpetual reservation 
in behalf of the honour of God's goodness. But, ac- 
cording to this doctrine, it follows that God is the 
author of sin, which may be proved by four argu- 
ments : 

" 1. One of its positions is, that God has absolute- 
ly decreed to demonstrate his glory by punitive jus- 
tice and mercy, in the salvation of some men and 
in the damnation of others : which neither was 
done, nor could have possibly been done, unless 
sin had entered into the world. 
R2 



198 PREDESTINATION. 

"2. This doctrine affirms that, in order to obtain 
his object, God ordained that man should commit 
sin, and be rendered vitiated ; and, from this Divine 
ordination or appointment, the fall of man necessa- 
rily followed. 

"3. It asserts that God has denied to man, or has 
withdrawn from him, such a portion of grace as is 
sufficient and necessary to enable him to avoid sin, 
and that this was done before man had sinned : 
which is an act that amounts to the same as if God 
had prescribed a law to man which it would be ut- 
terly impossible for him to fulfil, when the nature 
in which he had been created was taken into con- 
sideration. 

" 4. It ascribes to God certain operations with re- 
gard to man, both external and internal, both medi- 
ate (by means of the intervention of other creatures) 
and immediate ; which Divine operations being once 
admitted, man ought necessarily to commit sin, by 
that necessity which the schoolmen call ' a conse- 
quential necessity antecedent to the thing itself,' 
and which totally destroys the freedom of the will. 
Such an act does this doctrine attribute to God, and 
represents it to proceed from his primary and chief 
intention, without any foreknowledge of an inclina- 
tion, will, or action on the part of man. 

" From these premises we deduce, as a farther 
conclusion, that God really sins. Because (accord- 
ing to this doctrine) he moves to sin by an act that 
is unavoidable, an,d according to his own purpose 
and primary intention, without having received any 
previous inducement to such an act from any pre- 
ceding sin or demerit in man. 

" From the same position we might also infer that 
God is the only sinner ; for man, who is impelled by 
an irresistible force to commit sin (that is, to per- 
petrate some deed that has been prohibited), cannot 
be said to sin himself. 

" As a legitimate consequence, it also follows that 



PREDESTINATION. 1 99 

sin is not sin ; since, whatever that be which God 
does, it neither can be sin, nor ought any of his acts 
to receive that appellation. 

" Besides the instances which I have already re- 
counted, there is another method by which this doc- 
trine inflicts a deep wound on the honour of God ; 
but these, it is probable, will be considered at pres- 
ent to be amply sufficient. 

" XV. This doctrine is highly dishonourable to Je- 
sus Christ, our Saviour. For (1.) It entirely ex- 
cludes him from that decree of predestination which 
predestinates the end; and it affirms that men were 
predestined to be saved before Christ was predesti- 
nated to save them ; and thus it argues that he is 
not the foundation of election. (2.) It denies that 
Christ is the meritorious cause, that again obtained 
for us the salvation which we had lost, by placing 
him as only a subordinate cause of that salvation 
which had been already foreordained, and thus only 
a minister and instrument to apply that salvation 
unto us. This, indeed, is in evident congruity with 
the opinion which states ' that God has absolutely 
willed the salvation of certain men by the first and 
supreme decree which he passed, and on which all 
his other decrees depend and are consequent.' If 
this be true, it was therefore impossible for the sal- 
vation of such men to have been lost, and therefore 
unnecessary for it to be repaired and in some sort 
regained afresh, and discovered, by the merit of 
Christ, who was foreordained a Saviour for them 
alone. 

" XVI. This dc ; jrine is also hurtful to the salva- 
tion OF MEN 

" 1. Becau^p it prevents that saving and godly sor- 
row for sins thai have been committed, which can- 
not exist in those who have no consciousness of 
sin. But it is obvious, that the man who has com- 
mitted sin through the unavoidable necessity of the 



200 PREDESTINATION. 

decree of God, cannot possibly have this kind of 
consciousness of sin. — (*2 Cor., vii., 10.) 

" 2. Because it removes all pious solicitude about 
being converted from sin unto God. For he can 
feel no such concern who is entirely passive and 
conducts himself like a dead man, with respect not 
only to his discernment and perception of the grace 
of God that is exciting and assisting, but also to his 
assent and obedience to it ; and who is converted 
by such an irresistible impulse, that he not only 
cannot avoid being sensible of the grace of God 
which knocks within him, but he must likewise of 
necessity yield his assent to it, and thus convert 
himself, or, rather, be converted. Such a person, it 
is evident, cannot produce within his heart or con- 
ceive in his mind this solicitude, except he have 
previously felt the same irresistible motion. And 
if he should produce within his heart any such con- 
cern, it would be in vain, and without the least ad- 
vantage ; for that cannot be a true solicitude which 
is not produced in the heart by any other means 
except by an irresistible force according to the ab- 
solute purpose and intention of God to effect his 
salvation. — (Rev., ii., 3 ; hi., 2.) 

" 3. Because it restrains, in persons that are con- 
verted, all zeal and studious regard for good works, 
since it declares ' that the regenerate cannot per- 
form either more or less good than they do:' for he 
that is actuated or impelled by saving grace must 
work, and cannot discontinue his labour ; but he that 
is not actuated by the same grace can do nothing, 
and finds it necessary to cease from all attempts. 
(Tit., hi., 14.) 

" 4. Because it extinguishes the zeal for prayer, 
which yet is an efficacious means instituted by God 
for asking and obtaining all kinds of blessings from 
him, but principally the great one of salvation. — 
(Luke, xi., 1-13.) But from the circumstance of it 
having been before determined, by an immutable and 



PREDESTINATION. 201 

inevitable decree, that this description of men [the 
elect] should obtain salvation, prayer cannot on any 
account be a means for asking and obtaining that sal- 
vation. It can only be a mode of worshipping God ; 
because, according to the absolute decree of his pre- 
destination, he has determined that such men shall 
be saved. 

44 5. It takes away all that most salutary fear and 
trembling with which we are commanded to work out our 
own salvation. — (Phil., ii., 12.) For it states, ' that 
he who is elected and believes cannot sin with that 
full and entire willingness with which sin is com- 
mitted by the ungodly, and that they cannot either 
totally or finally fall away from faith or grace.' 

" 6. Because it produces within men a despair both 
of performing that which their duty requires and 
of obtaining that towards which their desires are di- 
rected. For when they are taught that the grace 
of God (which is really necessary to the perform- 
ance of the least portion of good) is denied to the 
majority of mankind, according to an absolute and 
peremptory decree of God ; and that such grace is 
denied because, by a preceding decree, equally ab- 
solute, God has determined not to confer salvation 
on them, but damnation ; when they are thus taught, 
it is scarcely possible for any other result to ensue 
than that the individual who cannot even with great 
difficulty work a persuasion within himself of his 
being elected, should soon consider himself inclu- 
ded in the number of the reprobate. From such an 
apprehension as this must arise a certain despair 
of performing righteousness and obtaining salvation. 

14 XVII. This doctrine inverts the order of the 
Gospel of Jesus Christ: for in ihe Gospel God re- 
quires repentance and faith on the part of man, by 
promising to him life everlasting, if he consent to 
become a convert and a believer. — (Mark, i., 15; 
xvi., 16.) But it is stated in this [Supralapsarian] 
decree of predestination, that it is God's absolute 



202 PREDESTINATION. 

will to bestow salvation on certain particular men, 
and that He willed, at the same time, absolutely to 
give those very individuals repentance and faith, by 
means of an irresistible force, because it was his 
will and pleasure to save them. In the Gospel, 
God denounces eternal death on the impenitent and 
unbelieving (John, hi., 36) ; and those threats con- 
tribute to the purpose which he has in view, that 
he may by such means deter them from unbelief, 
and thus may save them. But by this decree of 
predestination, it is taught that God wills not to 
confer on certain individual men that grace which 
is necessary for conversion and faith, because he 
has absolutely decreed their condemnation. The 
Gospel says, ' God so loved the world, that he gave 
his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in 
him should have everlasting life.' — (John, hi., 10.) 
But this doctrine declares, ' that God so loved those 
whom he had absolutely elected to eternal life, as 
to give his Son to them alone, and by an irresisti- 
ble force to produce within them faith on him.' 
To embrace the whole in few words, the Gospe] 
says, ' Fulfil the command, and thou shalt obtain 
the promise ; believe, and thou shalt live.' But this 
[Supralapsarian] doctrine says, ' Since it is my will 
to give thee life, it is therefore my will to give thee 
faith y which is a real and most manifest inversion 
of the Gospel. 

" XVIII. This predestination is in open hostility to 

THE MINISTRY OF THE GOSPEL. 

•• 1. For if God, by an irresistible power, quicken 
him who is dead in trespasses and sins, no man can 
be a minister and ' a labourer together with God' (1 
Cor., hi., 9), nor can the Word preached by man be 
the instrument of grace and of the Spirit — any more 
than a creature could have been an instrument of 
grace in the first creation, or a dispenser of that 
grace in the resurrection of the body from the dead. 

i; 2. Because, by this predestination, the ministry 



PREDESTINATION. 203 

of the Gospel is made 'the savour of death unto 
death' in the case of the majority of those who hear 
it (2 Cor., ii., 14-16), as well as an instrument of 
condemnation, according to the primary design and 
absolute intention of God, without any consideration 
of previous rebellion. 

" 3. Because, according to this doctrine, baptism, 
when administered to many reprobate children (who 
yet are the offspring of parents that believe, and are 
God's covenant people), is evidently a seal [or rati- 
fication]' of nothing, and thus becomes entirely use- 
less, in accordance with the primary and absolute 
intention of God, without any fault [or culpability] 
on the part of the infants themselves, to whom it is 
administered in obedience to the Divine command. 

" 4. Because it hinders public prayers from being 
offered to God in a becoming and suitable manner, 
that is, with faith, and in confidence that they will 
be profitable to all the hearers of the Word ; when 
there are many among them whom God is not only 
unwilling to save, but whom, by his absolute, eter- 
nal, and immutable will (which is antecedent to all 
things and causes whatever), it is his will and pleas- 
ure to damn. In the mean time, when the apostle 
commands prayers and supplications to be made 
for all men, he adds this reason, ' For this is good 
and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who 
will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the 
knowledge of the truth.' — (1 Tim., ii., 1-4). 

" 5. The constitution of this doctrine is such as 
very easily to render pastors and teachers slothful 
and negligent in the exercise of their ministry : be- 
cause, from this doctrine, it appears to them as 
though it were impossible for all their diligence to 
be useful to any person, except to those only whom 
God absolutely and precisely wills to save, and who 
cannot possibly perish ; and as though all their neg- 
ligence could be hurtful to none, except to those 
alone whom God absolutely wills to destroy, who 



204 PREDESTINATION. 

must of necessity perish, and to whom a contrary- 
fate is impossible. 

" XIX. This doctrine completely subverts the found- 
ation of religion in general, and of the Christian re- 
ligion in particular. 

" 1. The foundation of religion, considered in 
general, is a twofold love of God; without which 
there neither is nor can be any religion. The First 
of them is a love for righteousness [or justice], which 
gives existence to his hatred of sin : The Second is a 
love for the creature who is endowed with reason, 
and (in the matter now before us) it is a love for 
man, according to the expression of the apostle to 
the Hebrews : ' For he that cometh to God must be- 
lieve that he is, and that he is a re warder of them 
that diligently seek him' (xi., 6). God's love of 
righteousness is manifested by this circumstance — 
that it is not his will and pleasure to bestow eternal 
life on any except on ' those who seek him.' God's 
love of man consists in his being willing to give him 
eternal life, if he seek him. 

" A mutual relation subsists between these two 
kinds of love, which is this : the latter species of 
love, which extends itself to the creatures, cannot 
come into exercise, except so far as it is permitted 
by the former [the love of righteousness] : the for- 
mer love, therefore, is by far the most excellent spe- 
cies ; but in every direction there is abundant scope 
for the emanations of the latter [the love of the crea- 
ture], except where the former [the love of righ- 
teousness] has placed some impediment in the range 
of its exercise. The first of these consequences is 
most evidently proved from the circumstance of 
God's condemning man on account of sin. although 
he loves him in the relation in which he stands as 
his creature ; which would by no means have been 
done had he loved man more than righteousness [or 
justice], and had he evinced a stronger aversion to 
the eternal misery of man than to his disobedience. 



PREDESTINATION. 205 

But the second consequence is proved by this argu- 
ment, that God condemns no person except on ac- 
count of sin ; and that he saves such a multitude of 
men who turn themselves away [or are converted] 
£rom sin ; which he could not do, unless it was his 
will to allow as abundant scope to his love for the 
creatures] as is permitted by righteousness [or jus- 
tice] under the regulation of the Divine judgment. 

" But this [Supralapsarian] doctrine inverts this or- 
der and mutual relation in two ways : (1.) The one 
is when it states that God wills absolutely to save 
certain particular men, without having had in that 
his intention the least reference or regard to their 
obedience. This is the manner in which it places 
the love of God to man before his love of righteous- 
ness, and lays down the position that God loves men 
(as such) more than righteousness, and evinces a 
stronger aversion to their misery than to their sin 
and disobedience. (2.) The other is when it asserts, 
on the contrary, that God wills absolutely to damn 
certain particular men, without manifesting in his 
decree any consideration of their disobedience. In 
this manner it detracts from his love to the creature 
that which belongs to it ; while it teaches that God 
hates the creature, without any cause or necessity 
derived from his love of righteousness and his hatred 
of iniquity : in which case, it is not true ' that sin 
is the primary object of God's hatred, and its only 
meritorious cause.'' 

" The great influence and potency which this con- 
sideration possesses in subverting the foundation of 
religion may be appropriately described by the fol- 
lowing simile : Suppose a son to saj^, ' My father is 
such a great lover of righteousness and equity, that, 
notwithstanding I am his beloved son, he would dis- 
inherit me if I were found disobedient to him : obe- 
dience, therefore, is a duty which I must sedulously 
cultivate, and which is highly incumbent upon me, 
if I wish to be his heir.' Suppose another son to 
S 



206 PREDESTINATION. 

say : * My father's love for me is so great, that he 
is absolutely resolved to make me his heir : there 
is, therefore, no necessity for my earnestly striving 
to yield him obedience ; for, according to his un- 
changeable will, I shall become his heir. Nay, he 
will, by an irresistible force, draw me to obey him 
rather than not suffer me to be made his heir.' But 
such reasoning as the latter is diametrically opposed 
to the doctrine contained in the following words of 
John the Baptist : ' And think not to say within 
yourselves, We have Abraham to our father : for 
I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to 
raise up children unto Abraham/ — (Matt., iii., 9.) 

" 2. But the Christian religion also has its su- 
perstructure built upon this twofold love as a found- 
ation. This love, however, is to be considered in a 
manner somewhat different, in consequence of the 
change in the condition of man, who, when he had 
been created after the image of God, and in his fa- 
vour, became by his own fault a sinner and an ene- 
my to God. (1.) God's love of righteousness [or jus- 
tice], on which the Christian religion rests, is, First, 
that righteousness which he declared only once, 
which was in Christ ; because it was his will that 
sin should not be expiated in any other way than 
by the blood and death of his Son, and that Christ 
should not be admitted before him as an Advocate, 
Deprecator, and Intercessor, except when sprinkled 
by his own blood. But this love of righteousness is, 
Secondly, that which he daily manifests in the preach- 
ing of the Gospel, in which he declares it to be his 
will to grant a communication of Christ and his ben- 
efits to no man, except to him who becomes con- 
verted, and believes in Christ. (2.) God's love of 
miserable sinners, on which likewise the Christian 
religion is founded, is, First, that love by which he 
gave his Son for them, and constituted him a Sav- 
iour of those who obey him. But this love of sin- 
ners is, Secondly, that by which he hath required 



PREDESTINATION. 207 

obedience, not according to the rigour and severity 
to which he was entitled by his own supreme right, 
but according to his grace and clemency, and with 
the addition of a promise of the remission of sins, 
provided fallen man repent. 

" The [Supralapsarian] doctrine of predestination 
is, in two ways, opposed to this twofold foundation : 
First, by stating 4 that God has such a great love 
for certain sinners, that it was his will absolutely to 
save them before he had given satisfaction, through 
Christ Jesus, to his love of righteousness [or jus- 
tice], and that he thus willed their salvation even 
in his own foreknowledge, and according to his de- 
terminate purpose.' Besides, it totally and most 
completely overturns this foundation, by teaching it 
to be ' God's pleasure that satisfaction should be 
paid to his justice [or righteousness], because he 
willed absolutely to save such persons :' which is 
nothing less than to make his love for justice, mani- 
fested in Christ, subordinate to his love for sinful 
man, whom it is his will absolutely to save. Sec- 
ondly, It opposes itself to this foundation, by teach- 
ing 'that it is the will of God absolutely to damn 
certain sinners without any consideration of their 
impenitency ;' when, at the same time, a most plena- 
ry and complete satisfaction had been rendered, in 
Christ Jesus, to God's love of righteousness [or jus- 
tice] and to his hatred of sin : so that nothing now 
can hinder the possibility of his extending mercy to 
the sinner, whosoever he may be, except the condi- 
tion of repentance : unless some person should 
choose to assert, what is stated in this doctrine, 
' that it has been God's will to act towards the great- 
er part of mankind with the same severity as he ex- 
ercised towards the devil and his angels, or even 
with greater ; since it was his pleasure that neither 
Christ nor his Gospel should be productive of great- 
er blessings to them than to the devils ; and since, 
according to the first offence, the door of grace is 



208 PREDESTINATION. 

as much closed against them as it is against the 
evil angels.' Yet each of those angels sinned by 
himself, in his own proper person, through his indi- 
vidual maliciousness, and by his voluntary act ; 
while men sinned only in Adam their parent, before 
they had been brought into existence. 

" But, that we may more clearly understand the 
fact of this twofold love being the foundation of all 
religion, and the manner in which it is so, with the 
mutual correspondence that subsists between each 
other, as we have already described them, it will be 
profitable for us to contemplate with greater atten- 
tion the following words of the apostle to the He- 
brews : ' He that cometh to God, must believe that 
he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that dili- 
gently seek him.' In these words two things are 
laid down as foundations to religion, in opposition 
to two fiery darts of Satan, which are the most per- 
nicious pests to it, and each of which is able by it- 
self to overturn and extirpate all religion : one of 
them is Security, the other Despair. Security op- 
erates when a man persuades himself that, how in- 
attentive soever he may be to the worship of God, 
he will not be damned, but will obtain salvation. 
Despair is in operation when a person entertains a 
persuasion that, whatever degree of reverence he 
may evince towards God, he will not receive any 
remuneration. In what human mind soever either 
of these pests is fostered, it is impossible that any 
true and proper worship of God can there reside. 
Now both of them are overturned by the words of 
the apostle : for if a man firmly believes ' that God 
will bestow eternal life on those alone who seek 
him, but that He will inflict on the rest death eter- 
nal,' he can on no account indulge himself in secu- 
rity. And if he likewise believes that ' God is truly 
a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him,' by 
applying himself to the search he will not be in 
danger of falling into despair. The foundation of 



PREDESTINATION. 209 

the former kind of faith, by which a man firmly be- 
lieves ' that God will bestow eternal life on none 
except on those who seek Him,' is that love which 
God bears to his own righteousness [or justice], and 
which is greater than that which He entertains for 
man : and by this alone all cause of security is re- 
moved. But the foundation of the latter kind of 
faith, ' that God will undoubtedly be a rewarder of 
those who diligently seek Him,' is that great love 
for man which neither will nor can prevent God 
from effecting salvation for him, except He be hin- 
dered by his still greater love for righteousness or 
justice. Yet the latter kind of love is so far from 
operating as a hinderance to God from becoming a 
rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, that, on 
the contrary, it promotes in every possible way the 
bestowment of that reward. Those persons, there- 
fore, who seek God can by no means indulge in a 
single doubt concerning his readiness to remuner- 
ate ; and it is this which acts as a preservative 
against despair or distrust. Since this is the actual 
state of the case, this twofold love, and the mutual 
relation which each part of it bears to the other, and 
which we have just unfolded, are the foundations 
of religion, without which no religion can possibly 
exist. That doctrine, therefore, which is in open 
hostility to this mutual love and to the relation that 
mutually subsists between them, is, at the same 
time, subversive of the foundation of all religion. 

" XX. Lastly. This doctrine of predestination has 
been rejected, both in former times and in our own 

days, BY THE GREATER PART OF THE PROFESSORS OF 

Christianity. 

" 1. But, omitting all mention of the periods that 
occurred in former ages, facts themselves declare 
that the Lutheran and Anabaptist churches, as well 
as that of Rome, account this to be an erroneous 
doctrine. 

" However highly Luther and Melancthon might 
S2 



210 PREDESTINATION. 

at the very commencement of the Reformation 
have approved of this doctrine, they afterward de- 
serted it. This change in Melancthon is quite ap- 
parent from his latter writings ; and those who style 
themselves ' Luther's disciples' make the same 
statement respecting their master, while the)'' con- 
tend that on this subject he made a more distinct 
and copious declaration of his sentiments, instead 
of entirely abandoning those which he formerly en- 
tertained. But Philip Melancthon believed that 
this doctrine did not differ greatly from the Fate of 
the Stoics : this appears from many of his writings, 
but more particularly in a certain letter which he 
addressed to Gasper Peucer, and in which, among 
other things, he states : ' Lselius writes to me, and 
says, that the controversy respecting the Stoical 
Fate is agitated with such uncommon fervour at 
Geneva, that one individual is cast into prison be- 
cause he happened to differ from Zeno. unhappy 
times ! when the doctrine of salvation is thus ob- 
scured by certain strange disputes V 

" 3. All the Danish churches embrace a doctrine 
quite opposed to this, as is obvious from the writings 
of Nicholas Hemmingius in his Treatise on Univer- 
sal Grace, in which he declares that the contest 
between him and his adversaries consisted in the 
determination of these two points : ' Do the elect 
believe V or, 'Are believers the true elect]' He 
considers ' those persons who maintain the former 
position to hold sentiments agreeable to the doc- 
trine of the Manichees and Stoics ; and those who 
maintain the latter point are in obvious agreement 
with Moses and the prophets, with Christ and his 
apostles.' 

" Besides, by many of the inhabitants of these our 
own provinces this doctrine is accounted a griev- 
ance of such a nature as to cause several of them 
to affirm that on account of it they neither can nor 
will have any communication with our Church : 



PREDESTINATION. 21 1 

others of them have united themselves with our 
churches, but not without entering a protest, ' that 
they cannot possibly give their consent to this doc- 
trine.' But, on account of this kind of predestina- 
tion, our churches have been deserted by not a few 
individuals, who formerly held the same opinion as 
ourselves : others also have threatened to depart 
from us, unless they be fully assured that the Church 
holds no opinion of this description. 

" 5. There is likewise no point of doctrine which 
the papists, Anabaptists, and Lutherans oppose with 
greater vehemence than this, and through whose 
sides they create a worse opinion of our churches 
or procure for them a greater portion of hatred, and 
thus bring into disrepute all the doctrines which we 
profess. They likewise affirm ' that, all of the blas- 
phemies against God which the mind of man can 
conceive or his tongue can express, there is none 
so foul as not to be deduced by fair consequence 
from this opinion of our doctors.' 

" 6. Lastly. Of all the difficulties and controver- 
sies which have arisen in these our churches since 
the time of the Reformation, there is none that has 
not had its origin in this doctrine, or that has not at 
least been mixed with it. What I have here said 
will be found true, if we bring to our recollection 
the controversies which existed at Leyden in the 
affair of Koolhaes, at Gouda in that of Herman Her- 
berts, at Horn with respect to Cornelius Wiggert- 
son, and at Mendenblich in the affair of Tako Sy- 
brants. This consideration was not among the last 
of those motives which induced me to give my most 
diligent attention to this head of doctrine, and en- 
deavour to prevent our churches from suffering any 
detriment from it ; because from it the papists 
have derived much of their increase. While all pi- 
ous teachers ought most heartily to desire the de- 
struction of popery, as they would that of the king- 
dom of antichrist, they ought with the greatest zeal 



21 2 PREDESTINATION. 

to engage in the attempt, and, as far as it is within 
their power, to make the most efficient preparation 
for its overthrow. 

"The preceding views are, in brief, those which I 
hold respecting this novel doctrine of predestination. 
I have propounded it, with all good faith, from the 
very expressions of the authors themselves, that I 
might not seem to invent and attribute to them any- 
thing which I was not able clearly to prove from 
their writings. 

u 2. A Second Kind of Predestination. 

" But some other of our doctors state the subject 
of God's predestination in a manner somewhat dif- 
ferent. We will cursorily touch upon the two 
modes which they employ. 

"Among some of them the following opinion is 
prevalent : 

" 1. God determined within himself, by an eternal 
and immutable decree, to make (according to his 
own good pleasure) the smaller portion out of the 
general mass of mankind partakers of his grace 
and glory — to the praise of his own glorious grace. 
But according to his pleasure he also passed by the 
greater portion of men. and left them in their own 
nature, which is incapable of everything supernatu- 
ral [or beyond itself], and did not communicate to 
them that saving and supernatural grace by which 
their nature (if it still retained its integrity) might 
be strengthened, or by which, if it were corrupted, 
it might be restored — for a demonstration of his own 
liberty. Yet, after God had made these men sinners 
and guilty of death, he punished them with death 
eternal — for a demonstration of his own justice. 

'• 2. Predestination is to be considered in respect 
to its end and to the means which tend to it. But these 
persons employ the word ' predestination' in its 
special acceptation for election, and oppose it to rep- 
robatwn. (I.) In respect to its end (which is salva- 
tion, and an illustration of the glorious grace of 



PREDESTINATION. 213 

God), man is considered, in common and absolutely, 
such as he is in his own nature. (2.) But in respect 
to the means, man is considered as perishing from 
himself and in himself, and as guilty in Adam. 

" 3. In the decree concerning the end, the follow- 
ing gradations are to be regarded : (1.) The prescience 
of God, by which he foreknew those whom he had 
predestinated. Then (2.) The Divine prefinition [or 
predetermination], by which he foreordained the sal- 
vation of those persons whom he had foreknown : 
First, by electing them for all eternity ; and, Second- 
ly, by preparing for them grace in this life, and glory 
in the world to come. 

" 4. The means wmich belong to the execution of 
this predestination are, (1.) Christ himself ; (2.) An 
efficacious call to faith in Christ, from which justifi- 
cation takes its origin ; (3.) The gift of perseve- 
rance unto the end. 

" 5. As far as we are capable of comprehending 
their scheme of reprobation, it consists of two acts 
— that of pretention and that of predamnation. It is 
antecedent to all things, and to all causes which are 
either in the things themselves or which arise out 
of them ; that is, it has no regard whatever to any 
sin, and only views man in an absolute and general 
aspect. 

" 6. Two means are foreordained for the execu- 
tion of the act of preterition : (1.) Dereliction [or 
abandoning] in a state of nature, which by itself is 
incapable of everything supernatural ; and (2.) Non- 
communication [or a negation] of supernatural grace, 
by which their nature (if in a state of integrity) 
might be strengthened, and (if in a state of corrup- 
tion) might be restored. 

" 7. Predamnation is antecedent to all things, yet 
it does by no means exist without a foreknowledge 
of the causes of damnation. It views man as a 
sinner, obnoxious to damnation in Adam, and as on 
this account perishing through the necessity of Di- 
vine justice. 



214 PREDESTINATION. 

11 8. The means ordained for the execution of this 
predamnation are, (I.) Just desertion, which is either 
that of exploration [or examination], in which God does 
not confer his grace ; or that of punishment, when God 
takes away from a man all his saving gifts, and de- 
livers him over to the power of Satan. (2.) The 
second means are induration or hardening, and those 
consequences which usually follow, even to the real 
damnation of the person reprobated. 

" 3. A Third Ktnd of Predestination. 

" But others among our doctors state their senti- 
ments on this subject in the following manner : 

" 1. Because God willed within himself, from all 
eternity, to make a decree by which he might elect 
certain men and reprobate the rest, He viewed 
and considered the human race not only as created, 
but likewise as fallen or corrupt, and on that account 
obnoxious to cursing and malediction. Out of this 
lapsed and accursed state God determined to liber- 
ate certain individuals, and freely to save them by 
his grace — for a declaration of his mercy ; but He 
resolved in his own just judgment to leave the rest 
under the curse [or malediction] for a declaration of 
his justice. In both these cases God acts without 
the least consideration of repentance an&faith in those 
whom he elects, or of impenitence and unbelief in 
those whom he reprobates. 

" 2. The special means which relate particularly 
to the execution both of election and reprobation 
are the very same as those which we have already 
expounded in the first of these kinds of predestina- 
tion, with the exception of those means which are 
common both to election and reprobation ; because 
this [third] opinion places the fall of man, not as a 
means foreordained for the execution of the prece- 
ding decree of predestination, but as something that 
might furnish a fixed purpose [proceresis] or occasion 
for making this decree of predestination. 



PREDESTINATION. 215 

"4. My Judgment respecting the two last-de- 
scribed Schemes of Predestination. 

" Both these opinions, as they outwardly pretend, 
differ from the first in this point — that neither of 
them lays down the creation or the fall as a mediate 
cause foreordained by God for the execution of the 
preceding decree of predestination. Yet, with re- 
gard to the fall, some diversity may be perceived in 
the two latter opinions : for the second kind of pre- 
destination places election, with regard to the end, 
before the fall ; it also places before that event pre- 
tention [or passing by], which is the first part of rep- 
robation ; while the third kind does not allow any 
part of election and reprobation to commence till 
after the fall of man. But, among the causes which 
seem to have induced the inventors of the two latter 
schemes to deliver the doctrine of predestination in 
this manner, and not to ascend to such a great 
height as the inventors of the first scheme have 
done, this is not the least — that they have been de- 
sirous of using the greatest precaution, lest it might 
be concluded, from their doctrine, that God is the au- 
thor of sin, with as much show of probability as (ac- 
cording to the intimation of some of those who yield 
their assent to both the latter kinds) it is deducible 
from the first description of predestination. 

" Yet, If we be willing to inspect these two latter 
opinions a little more closely, and, in particular, if we 
accurately examine the second and third kind, and 
compare them with other sentiments of the same 
authors concerning some subjects of our religion, 
we shall discover that the fall of Adam cannot pos- 
sibly, according to their views, be considered in any 
other manner than as a necessary means for the ex- 
ecution of the preceding decree of predestination. 

u 1. In reference to the second of the three, this 
is apparent from two reasons comprised in it : 

" The First of these reasons is that which states 
God to have determined by the decree of reprobation 



216 PREDESTINATION. 

to deny to man that grace which was necessary for 
the confirmation and strengthening of his nature, 
that it might not be corrupted by sin ; which 
amounts to this, that God decreed not to bestow that 
grace which was necessary to avoid sin ; and from 
this must necessarily follow the transgression of man, 
as proceeding from a law imposed on him. The 
fall of man is, therefore, a means ordained for the 
execution of the decree of reprobation. 

" The Second of these reasons is that which states 
the two parts of reprobation to be pretention and 
pre damnation. These two parts, according to that 
decree, are connected together by a necessary and 
mutual bond, and are equally extensive ; for all 
those whom God passed by in conferring Divine 
grace are likewise damned : indeed, no others are 
damned, except those who are the subjects of this 
act of pretention. From this, therefore, it may be 
concluded that ' sin must necessarily follow from 
the decree of reprobation or pretention :' because, 
if it were otherwise, it might possibly happen that 
a person who had been passed by might not commit 
sin, and from that circumstance might not become 
liable to damnation, since sin is the sole meritorious 
cause of damnation ; and thus certain of those indi- 
viduals who had been passed by might neither be 
saved nor damned — which is a great absurdity. 

" This second opinion on predestination, therefore, 
falls into the same inconvenience as the first. For 
it not only does not avoid that [conclusion of making 
G.od the author of sin], but while those who profess 
it make the attempt, they fall into a palpable and 
absurd self-contradiction ; while, in reference to this 
point, the first of these opinions is alike throughout, 
and consistent with itself. 

"2. The Third of these schemes of predestination 
would escape this rock to much better effect, did 
not the patrons of it, while declaring their senti- 
ments on predestination and Providence, employ 



PREDESTINATION. 217 

certain expressions from which the necessity of the 
fall might be deduced. Yet this necessity cannot 
possibly have any other origin than some decree of 
predestination. 

" (1.) One of these explanatory expressions is their 
description of the Divine permission, by which God 
permits sin. Some of them describe it thus : ■ Per- 
mission is the withdrawing of that Divine Grace by 
which, when God executes the decrees of his will 
through rational creatures, he either does not reveal 
to the creature that Divine will of his own by which 
He wills that action to be performed, or does not 
bend the will of the creature to yield obedience in 
that act to the Divine will.' To these expressions 
the following are immediately subjoined : ' If this 
be a correct statement, the creature commits sin 
through necessity, yet voluntarily, and without re- 
straint.' If it be objected that 'this description 
does not comport with that permission by which 
God permitted the sin of Adam,' we also entertain 
the same opinion about it. Yet it follows, as a con- 
sequence from this very description, that ' other 
sins are committed through necessity.' 

" (2.) Of a similar tendency are the expressions 
which some of them use when they contend that the 
declaration of the glory of God which must neces- 
sarily be illustrated, is placed in ' the demonstration 
of mercy and of punitive justice.' But such a dem- 
onstration could not have been made, unless sin, and 
misery through sin, had entered into the world to 
from at least a sort of the lowest desert of misery ; 
and in this manner is sin also necessarily introduced, 
through the necessity of such a demonstration of 
the Divine glory. Since the fall of Adam is already 
laid down to be necessary, and, on that account, to 
be a n^eans for executing the preceding decree of 
predestination ; creation itself is likewise, at the 
same time, laid down as a means subservient to the 
execution of the same decree. For the fall cannot 
T 



HI 8 PREDESTINATION. 

be necessarily consequent upon the creation, except 
through the decree of predestination, which cannot 
be placed between the creation and the fail, but is 
prefixed before both of them, as having the prece- 
dence, and ordaining creation for the fall, and both of 
them for executing one and the same decree, to de- 
monstrate the justice of God in the punishment of sin, 
and his mercy in its remission. Because, if this 
were not the case, that which must necessarily ensue 
from the act of creation had not been intended by God 
when he created : which is to suppose an impossi- 
bility. 

" But let it be granted that the necessity of the fall 
of Adam cannot be deduced from either of the two 
latter opinions, yet all the preceding arguments 
which have been produced against the first opinion 
are, after a trifling modification to suit the varied 
purpose, equally valid against the two latter. This 
would be very apparent if, to demonstrate it, a con- 
ference were to be instituted. 

" 5. My own Sentiments on Predestination. 

" I have hitherto been stating those opinions con- 
cerning the article of predestination which are in- 
culcated in our churches and in the University of 
Leyden, and of which I disapprove. I have, at the 
same time, produced my own reasons why I form 
such an unfavourable judgment concerning them ; 
and I will now declare my own opinions on this 
subject, which are of such a description as, accord- 
ing to my views, appear most conformable to the 
Word of God. 

" I. The First absolute decree of God concerning 
the salvation of sinful man is that by which he de- 
creed to appoint his Son Jesus Christ for a Media- 
tor, Redeemer, Saviour, Priest, and King, who might 
destroy sin by his own death, might by his obedi- 
ence obtain the salvation which had been lost, and 
might communicate it by his own virtue. 



PREDESTINATION. 219 

" II. The Second precise and absolute decree of 
God is that in which he decreed to receive into fa- 
vour those who repent and believe and in Christ, for 
his sake and through him, to effect the salvation of 
such penitents and believers as persevered to the 
end ; but to leave in sin and under wrath all impeni- 
tent persons and unbelievers, and to damn them as 
aliens from Christ. 

" III. The Third Divine decree is that by which 
God decreed to administer, in a sufficient and effica- 
cious manner, the means which were necessary for 
repentance and faith ; and to have such administra- 
tion instituted (1.) according to the Divine wisdom, 
by which God knows what is proper and becoming 
both to his mercy and his severity ; and (2.) according 
to Divine justice, by which He is prepared to adopt 
whatever his wisdom may prescribe, and to put it in 
execution. 

" IV. To these succeeds the Fourth decree, by 
which God decreed to save and damn certain par- 
ticular persons. This decree has its foundation in 
the foreknowledge of God, by which he knew from 
all eternity those individuals who would, through his 
preventing grace, believe, and, through his subsequent 
grace, would persevere, according to the before-de- 
scribed administration of those means which are 
suitable and proper for conversion and faith ; and 
by which foreknowledge he likewise knew those 
who would not believe and persevere, 

" Predestination, when thus explained, is, 

" 1. The foundation of Christianity, and of salva- 
tion and its certainty. 

" 2. It is the sum and the matter of the Gospel ; 
nay, it is the Gospel itself, and on that account ne- 
cessary to be believed in order to salvation, as far as 
the first two articles are concerned. 

" 3. It has had no need of being examined or de- 
termined by any council, either general or particu- 
lar, since it is contained in the Scriptures clearly 



220 PREDESTINATION. 

and expressly in so many words ; and no contradic- 
tion has ever yet been offered to it by any orthodox 
divine. 

" 4. It has constantly been acknowledged and 
taught by all Christian teachers who held correct 
and orthodox sentiments. 

" 5. It agrees with that Harmony of all Confessions 
which has been published by the Protestant Church- 
es. 

" 6. It likewise agrees most excellently with the 
Dutch Confession and Catechism. This concord is 
such, that if in the Sixteenth Article these two ex- 
pressions [eos quos, et alii], ' those persons whom' 
and ' others,' be explained by the words ' believers' 
and ' unbelievers,' these opinions of mine on predes- 
tination will be comprehended in that article with 
the greatest clearness. This is the reason why I 
directed the thesis to he composed in the very icords 
of the Confession, when, on one occasion, I had to 
hold a public disputation before my private class in 
the University. This kind of predestination also 
agrees with the reasoning contained in the twentieth 
and the fifty '-fourth question of the Catechism. 

" 7. It is also in excellent accordance with the 
nature of God, with his wisdom, goodness, and 
righteousness ; because it contains the principal 
matter of all of them, and is the clearest demon- 
stration of the Divine wisdom, goodness, and righ- 
teousness [or justice]. 

" 8. It is agreeable in every point with the nature 
of man, in what form soever that nature may be 
contemplated ; whether in the primitive state of crea- 
tion, in that of the fall, or in that of restoration. 

"9. It is in complete concert with the act of crea- 
tion, by affirming that the creation itself is a real 
communication of good, both from the intention of 
God and with regard to the very end or event ; that 
it had its origin in the goodness of God ; that what- 
ever has a reference to its continuance and preser- 



PREDESTINATION. 221 

vation proceeds from Divine love ; and that this act 
of creation is a perfect and appropriate work of 
God, in which He is at complaisance with himself, 
and by which he obtained all things necessary for 
an unsinning state. 

" 10. It agrees with the nature of life eternal, and 
with the honourable titles by which that life is des- 
ignated in the Scriptures. 

"11. It also agrees with the nature of death eter- 
nal, and with the names by which that death is dis- 
tinguished in Scripture. 

" 12. It states sin to be a real disobedience and 
the meritorious cause of condemnation ; and on this 
account it is in the most perfect agreement with the 
fall and with sin. 

"13. In every particular it harmonizes with the 
nature of grace, by ascribing to it all those things 
which agree with it [or are adapted to it], and by rec- 
onciling it most completely to the righteousness of 
God, and to the nature and liberty of the human will. 

" 14. It conduces most conspicuously to declare 
the glory of God, his justice and his mercy. It also 
represents God as the cause of all good and of our 
salvation, and man as the cause of sin and of his 
own damnation. 

" 15. It contributes to the honour of Jesus Christ, 
by placing him for the foundation of predestination, 
and the meritorious as well as communicative cause 
of salvation. 

" 16. It greatly promotes the salvation of men. It 
is also the power, and the very means which lead to 
salvation, by exciting and creating within the mind 
of man sorrow on account of sin, a solicitude about 
his conversion, faith in Jesus Christ, a studious de- 
sire to perform good works, and zeal in prayer, and 
by causing men to work out their salvation with fear 
and trembling. It likewise prevents despair, as far 
as such prevention is necessary. 

" 17. It confirms and establishes that order ac- 
T3 



222 PREDESTINATION. 

cording to which the Gospel ought to be preached : 
(1.) By requiring repentance and faith ; (2.) And then 
by promising remission of sins, the grace of the 
Spirit, and life eternal. 

" 18. It strengthens the ministry of the Gospel, 
and renders it profitable with respect to preaching, 
the administration of the sacraments, and public 
prayers. 

" 19. It is the foundation of the Christian religion ; 
because in it the twofold love of God may be uni- 
ted together ; God's love of righteousness [or jus- 
tice], and his love of men, may with the greatest 
consistency be reconciled to each other. 

"20. Lastly. This doctrine of predestination has al- 
ways been approved by the great majority of professing 
Christians, and even now, in these days, ii enjoys 
the same extensive patronage. It cannot afford any 
person just cause for expressing his aversion to it, 
nor can it give any pretext for contention in the 
Christian Church. 

" It is therefore much to be desired that men 
w r ould proceed no farther in this matter, and would 
not attempt to investigate the unsearchable judgments 
of God ; at least that they would not proceed beyond 
the point at w 7 hich those judgments have been clear- 
ly revealed in the Scriptures. 

" This, my most potent lords, is all that I intend 
now to declare to your mightinesses respecting the 
doctrine of Predestination, about which there ex- 
ists such a great controversy in the Church of 
Christ. If it would not prove too tedious to your 
lordships, I have some other propositions which I 
could wish to state, because they contribute to a full 
declaration of my sentiments, and tend to the same 
purpose as that for which I have been ordered to at- 
tend in this place by your mightinesses. 

" There are certain other articles of the Christian 
Religion which possess a close affinity to the doc- 
trine of predestination, and which are in a great 



PROVIDENCE OF GOD. 223 

measure dependant on it. Of this description are 
the Providence of God, the Free-will of Man, the Per- 
severance of Saints, and the Certainty of Salvation. 
On these topics, if not disagreeable to your mighti- 
nesses, I will in a brief manner relate my opinion. 

II. The Providence of God. 
" I consider Divine Providence to be ' that solicit- 
ous, continued, and universally-present inspection 
and oversight of God, according to which he exer- 
cises a general care over the whole world, but evin- 
ces a particular concern for all his [intelligent] crea- 
tures, without any exception, with the design of pre- 
serving and governing them in their own essence, 
qualities, actions, and passions, in a manner that is 
at once worthy of Himself and suitable to them, to 
the praise of his name and the salvation of believ- 
ers.' In this definition of Divine Providence, I by 
no means deprive it of any particle of those prop- 
erties which agree with it or belong to it ; but I de- 
clare that it preserves, regulates, governs, and di- 
rects all things, and that nothing in the world hap- 
pens fortuitously or by chance. Besides this, I place 
in subjection to Divine Providence both the free-will 
and even the actions of a rational creature : so that 
nothing can be done without the will of God, not 
even any of those things which are done in opposi- 
tion to it ; only we must observe a distinction be- 
tween good actions and evil ones, by saying that 
; God both wills and performs good acts,' but that ' He 
only freely permits those which are evil.' Still far- 
ther than this, I very readily grant, that even all ac- 
tions whatever concerning evil that can possibly be 
devised or invented, may be attributed to Divine 
Providence, employing solely one caution, ' not to 
conclude from this concession that God is the cause 
of sin.'' This I have testified with sufficient clear- 
ness in a certain disputation concerning the Righte- 
ousness and Efficacy of Divine Providence concerning 



224 FREE WILL. 

things that are evil, which was on two different occa- 
sions treated in Leyden as a divinity-act, at which 
I presided. In that disputation I endeavoured to 
ascribe to God whatever actions concerning sin I 
could possibly conclude from the Scriptures to be- 
long to him ; and I proceeded to such a length in 
my attempt, that some persons thought proper, on 
that account, to charge me with having made God 
the author of sin. The same serious allegation has 
likewise been often produced against me from the 
pulpit in the city of Amsterdam, on account of those 
very theses ; but with what show of justice such a 
charge was made may be evident to any one from 
the contents of my written answer to those Thirty- 
one Articles formerly mentioned, which have been 
falsely imputed to me, and of which this w as one. 

III. The Free-Will of Man. 
" This is my opinion concerning the free-will of 
man : In his primitive condition, as he came out of 
the hands of his Creator, man was endowed with 
such a portion of knowledge, holiness, and pow r er, 
as enabled him to understand, esteem, consider, 
will, and to perform the true good, according to the 
commandment delivered to him : yet none of these 
acts could he do, except through the assistance of Di- 
vine Grace. But in his lapsed and sinful state, man 
is not capable, of and by himself, either to think, to 
will, or to do that which is really good ; but it is ne- 
cessary for him to be regenerated and renewed in 
his intellect, affections, or will, and in all his pow- 
ers, by God in Christ through the Holy Spirit, that 
he may be qualified rightly to understand, esteem, 
consider, will, and perform whatever is truly good. 
When he is made a partaker of this regeneration or 
renovation, I consider that, since he is delivered 
from sin, he is capable of thinking, willing, and do- 
ing that which is good, but yet not without the con- 
tinued aids of Divine Grace, 



THE GRACE OF GOD. 225 



IV. The Grace of God. 

" In reference to Divine Grace, I believe, (1.) It is 
a gratuitous affection by which God is kindly affect- 
ed towards a miserable sinner, and according to 
which he, in the first place, gives his Son, ' that who- 
soever believeth in him might have eternal life ;' 
and, afterward, he justifies him in Christ Jesus and 
for his sake, and adopts him into the right of sons, 
unto salvation. (2.) It is an infusion (both into the 
human understanding and into the will and affec- 
tions) of all those gifts of the Holy Spirit which 
appertain to the regeneration and renewing of man 
— such ins faith, hope, charity, &c. ; for, without these 
gracious gifts, man is not sufficient to think, will, oi 
do anything that is good. (3.) It is that perpetual 
assistance and continued aid of the Holy Spirit, ac- 
cording to which He acts upon and excites to good 
the man who has been already renewed, by infusing 
into him salutary cogitations, and by inspiring him 
with good desires, that he may thus actually will 
whatever is good ; and according to which God may 
then will and work together with man, that man 
may perform whatever he wills. 

" In this manner, I ascribe to grace the com- 
mencement, THE CONTINUANCE, AND THE CONSUMMATION 

of all good ; and to such an extent do I carry its 
influence, that a man, though already regenerate, 
can neither conceive, will, nor do any good at all, 
nor resist any evil temptation, without this preventing 
and exciting, this following and co-operating grace. 
From this statement it will clearly appear that I 
am by no means injurious or unjust to grace, by at- 
tributing, as it is reported of me, too much to man's 
free-will : for the whole controversy reduces itself 
to the solution of this question, ' Is the grace of God 
a certain irresistible force] 1 That is, the contro- 
versy does not relate to those actions or operations 
which may be ascribed to grace (for I acknowledge 



226 PERSEVERANCE OP THE SAINTS. 



and inculcate as many of these actions or opera- 
tions as any man ever did), but it relates solely 
to the mode of operation-— whether it be irresistible or 
not : with respect to which, I believe, according to 
the Scriptures, that many persons resist the Holy 
Spirit and reject the grace that is offered. 

" V. The Perseverance of the Saints. 

" My sentiments respecting the perseverance of 
the saints are, That those persons who have been 
grafted into Christ by true faith, and have thus been 
made partakers of his life-giving Spirit, possess 
sufficient powers [or strength] to fight against Satan, 
sin, the world, and their own flesh, and to gain the 
victory over these enemies — yet not without the 
assistance of the grace of the same Holy Spirit. 
Jesus Christ also, by his Spirit, assists them in all 
their temptations, and affords them the ready aid of 
his hand ; and, provided they stand prepared for the 
battle, implore his help, and be not wanting to them- 
selves, Christ preserves them from falling : so that 
it is not possible for them, by any of the cunning 
craftiness or power of Satan, to be either seduced 
or dragged out of the hands of Christ. But I think 
it is useful, and will be quite necessary in our first 
convention [or synod], to institute a diligent inquiry 
from the Scriptures, whether it is not possible for 
some individuals, through negligence, to desert the 
commencement of their existence in Christ, to 
cleave again to the present evil world, to decline 
from the sound doctrine which was once delivered 
to them, to lose a good conscience, and to cause 
Divine grace to be ineffectual. 

" Though I here openly and ingenuously affirm, I 
never taught that a true believer can either totally or 
finally fall away from the faith, and perish, yet I will 
not conceal that there are passages of Scripture 
which seem to me to wear this aspect ; and those 
answers to them which I have been permitted to 



. 



ASSURANCE OF SALVATION. 227 

see are not of such a kind as to approve themselves 
on all points to my understanding. On the other 
hand, certain passages are produced for the con- 
trary doctrine [of unconditional perseverance] which 
are worthy of much consideration. 

"VI. The Assurance of Salvation. 

" With regard to the certainty [or assurance] of 
salvation, my opinion is, that it is possible for him 
who believes in Jesus Christ to be certain and per- 
suaded, and, if his heart condemn him not, he is now 
in reality assured that he is a son of God, and stands 
in the grace of Jesus Christ. Such a certainty is 
wrought in the mind, as well by the action of the 
Holy Spirit inwardly actuating the believer and by 
the fruits of faith, as from his own conscience, and 
the testimony of God's Spirit witnessing together 
with his conscience. I also believe that it is possible 
for such a person, with an assured confidence in the 
grace of God and his mercy in Christ, to depart out 
of this life, and to appear before the throne of grace, 
without any anxious fear or terrific dread ; and yet 
this person should constantly pray, ' O Lord, enter 
not into judgment with thy servant P 

" But, since ' God is greater than our hearts, and 
knoweth all things, and since a man judges not his 
own self, yea, though a man know nothing by him- 
self, yet is he not thereby justified, but he who judg- 
ethhim is the Lord.' — (1 John, hi., 19 ; 1 Cor., iv., 3.) 
I dare not [on this account] place this assurance [or 
certainty] on an equality with that by which we 
know there is a God, and that Christ is the Saviour of 
the world. Yet it will be proper to make the extern 
of the boundaries of this assurance a subject of inquiry 
in our convention. 

" VII. The Perfection of Believers in this Life. 

" Besides those doctrines on which I have treated, 

there is now much discussion among us respecting 



229 PERFECTION OF BELIEVERS. 

the perfection of believers, or regenerate persons, in this 
life; and it is reported that I entertain sentiments 
on this subject which are very improper, and nearly 
allied to those of the Pelagians, viz., ' that it is pos- 
sible for the regenerate in this life perfectly to keep 
God's precepts.' To this I reply, though these 
might have been my sentiments, yet I ought not on 
this account to be considered a Pelagian, either 
partly or entirely, provided I had only added that 
* they could do this by the Grace of Christ, and by no 
means ivithout it.' But while I never asserted that 
a believer could perfectly keep the precepts of Christ in 
this life, I never denied it, but always left it as a 
matter which has still to be decided. For I have 
contented myself with those sentiments which St. 
Augustine has expressed on this subject, whose 
words I have frequently quoted in the University, 
and have usually subjoined, that I had no addition 
to make to them. 

" Augustine says, ' Four questions may claim our 
attention on this topic. The First is, Was there 
ever yet a man without sin — one who, from the be- 
ginning of life to its termination, never committed 
sin] The Second, Has there ever been, is there 
now, or can there possibly be, an individual who 
does not sin ; that is, who has attained to such a 
state of perfection in this life as not to commit sin, 
but perfectly to fulfil the law of God] The Third, 
Is it possible for a man in this life to exist without 
sin ! The Fourth, If it be possible for a man to be 
without sin, why has such an individual never yet 
been found V St. Augustine says, ' that such a per- 
son as is described in the First Question never yet 
lived, or will hereafter be brought into existence, 
with the exception of Jesus Christ. He does not 
think that any man has attained to such perfection 
in this life as is portrayed in the Second Question. 
With regard to the Third, he thinks it possible for 
a man to be without sin, by means of the grace of 



PERFECTION OF BELIEVERS. 229 

Christ and free-will. In answer to the Fourth, man 
does not do what it is possible for him by the grace 
of Christ to perform, either because that which is 
good escapes his observation, or because in it he 
places no part of his delight.' From this quotation 
it is apparent that St. Augustine, one of the most 
strenuous adversaries of the Pelagian doctrine, re- 
tained this sentiment, that ' it is possible for a man 
to live in this world without sin.' 

" Besides this, the same Christian father says, ' Let 
Pelagius confess that it is possible for man to be with- 
out sin in no other way than by the grace of Christ, 
and we will be at peace with each other.' The 
opinion of Pelagius appeared to St. Augustine to be 
this, 'that man could fulfil the law of God by his 
own proper strength and ability, but with still greater 
facility by means of the grace of Christ. .' I have al- 
ready most abundantly stated the great distance at 
which I stand from such a sentiment ; in addition to 
which, I now declare, that I account this sentiment 
of Pelagius to be heretical, and diametrically op- 
posed to these words of Christ, ' Without me ye can 
do nothing.' — (John, xv., 5.) It is likewise very de- 
structive, and inflicts a most grievous wound on the 
glory of Christ. 

" I cannot see that anything is contained in all I 
have hitherto produced respecting my sentiments 
on account of which any person ought to be ' afraid 
of appearing in the presence of God,' and from 
which it might be feared that any mischievous con- 
sequences can possibly arise. Yet, because every 
day brings me fresh information about reports con- 
cerning me, 'that I carry in my breast destructive 
sentiments and heresies,' I cannot possibly conceive 
to what points those charges can relate, except, per- 
haps, they draw some such pretext from my opinion 
concerning the Divinity of the Son of God, and the 
justification of man before God. Indeed, I have lately 
learned that there has been much public conversa- 
U 



230 DIVINITY OP CHRIST. 

tion, and many rumours have been circulated re- 
specting my opinion on both these points of doctrine, 
particularly since the last conference [between Go- 
marus and myself] before the counsellors of the 
Supreme Court. This is one reason why I think 
that I shall not be acting unadvisedly if I disclose 
to your mightinesses the real state of the whole 
matter. 

" VIII. The Divinity of the Son of God. 
H With regard to the Divinity of the Son of God 
and the word avrodeoc; [' God in his own right'], both 
of which have been discussed in our University in 
the regular form of scholastic disputations, I cannot 
sufficiently wonder what the motive can be which 
has created a wish in some persons to render me 
suspected to other men, or to make me an object of 
suspicion to themselves. This is still more won- 
derful, since this suspicion has not the least ground 
of probability on which to rest, and is at such im- 
mense distance from all reason and truth, that, 
whatever reports have been spread abroad respecting 
this affair to the prejudice of my character, they 
can be called nothing better than ■ notorious calum- 
nies.' At a disputation held one afternoon in the 
University, when the thesis that had been proposed 
for disputation was the Divinity of the Son of God, 
one of the students happened to object, ' that the 
Son of God was autotheos [ u God in his own right"], 
and that he therefore had his essence from himself, 
and not from the Father.' In reply to this, I observ- 
ed, ' that the word autotheos was capable of two dif- 
ferent acceptations, since it might signify either 
" one who is truly God,'' or " one who is God of him- 
self ;" and that it was with great propriety and cor- 
rectness attributed to the Son of God according to 
the former signification, but not according to the 
latter.' The student, in prosecution of his argu- 
ment, violently contended, ' that the word was justly 



DIVINITY OF CHRIST. 231 

applicable to the Son of God, principally according 
to the second of these significations ; and that the 
essence of the Father could not be said to be com- 
municated to the Son and to the Holy Spirit in any 
other than in an improper sense ; but that it was in 
perfect correctness and strict propriety common 
alike to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.' 
He added, ' that he asserted this with the greater 
confidence, because he had the younger Trelcatius 
of pious memory [but who was then living] as an 
authority in his favour on this point ; for that learn- 
ed professor had written to the same purport in his 
Common Places? To these observations I answer- 
ed, ' that this opinion was at variance with the Word 
of God, and with the whole of the ancient Church, 
both Greek and Latin, which had always taught 
that the Son had his Deity from the Father by eternal 
generation? To these remarks I subjoined, ' that 
from such an opinion as this necessarily followed 
the two mutually-conflicting errors, Tritheism and 
Sabellianism ; that is, (1.) It would ensue as a ne- 
cessary consequence, from these premises, that 
there are three Gods, who have together and collat- 
erally the Divine Essence, independently of this 
circumstance — that one of them (being only per- 
sonally distinguished from the rest) has that es- 
sence from another of the persons. Yet the proceed- 
ing of the origin of one person from another (that is, 
of the Father from the Son) is the only foundation 
that has ever been used for defending the Unity of 
the Divine Essence in the Trinity of persons. (2.) 
It would likewise follow, as another consequence, 
that the Son would himself be the Father, because 
he would differ from the Father in nothing but in 
regard to name, which was the opinion of Sabellius. 
For, since it is peculiar to the Father to derive his 
Deity from himself, or (to speak more correctly) to 
derive it from no one, if, in the sense of being " God 



232 DIVINITY OF CHRIST. 

of himself," the Son be called autotheos, it follows 
that He is the Father.' 

" Some account of this disputation was dispersed 
abroad in all directions, and it reached Amsterdam. 
A minister of that city, who now rests in the Lord, 
having- interrogated me respecting the real state of 
this affair, I related the whole of it to him plainly, 
as I have now done ; and I requested him to make 
Trelcatius of blessed memory acquainted with it as 
it had actually occurred, and to advise him in a 
friendly manner to amend his opinion, and to cor- 
rect those inappropriate words in his Common Pla- 
ces : this request the minister from Amsterdam 
engaged to fulfil in his own way. 

u In all this proceeding I am far from being liable 
to any blame, for I have defended the truth and the 
sentiments of the catholic and orthodox Church. 
Trelcatius, undoubtedly, was the person most open 
to animadversion, for he adopted a mode of speak- 
ing which detracted somewhat from the truth of the 
matter. But such has always been either my own 
infelicity or the zeal of certain individuals, that, as 
soon as any disagreement arises, all the blame is 
instantly cast upon me, as if it was impossible for 
me to display as much veracity [or orthodoxy] as 
any other person. Yet on this subject I have Go- 
marus himself consenting with me ; for, soon after 
Trelcatius had published his Common Places, a dis- 
putation on the Trinity having been proposed in the 
University, Gomarus did in three several parts of 
his theses express himself in such terms as were 
diametrically opposed to those of Trelcatius. The 
very obvious difference in opinion between those 
two professors I pointed out to the Amsterdam min- 
ister, who acknowledged its existence. Yet, not- 
withstanding all these things, no one endeavoured 
to vindicate me from this calumny ; while great 
exertion was employed to frame excuses for Trel- 
catius, by means of a qualified interpretation of his 



DIVINITY OF CHRIST. 233 

words ; though it was utterly impossible to recon- 
cile their palliative explanations with the plain sig- 
nification of his unperverted expressions. Such are 
the effects which the partiality of favour and the fer- 
vour of zeal can produce ! 

" The milder and qualified interpretation put upon 
the words of Trelcatius was the following : ' The 
Son of God may be styled autotheos, or may be said 
to have his Deity from himself, in reference to his 
being God, although he has his Deity from the Fa- 
ther, in reference to his being the Son." For the 
sake of a larger explanation, it is said, ' God, or the 
Divine Essence, may be considered both absolutely 
and relatively. When regarded absolutely, the Son 
has his Divine Essence from himself; but when 
viewed relatively, he derives it from the Father.' 
But these are new modes of speaking and novel 
opinions, and such as can by no means consist to- 
gether ; for the Son, both in regard to his being the 
Son and to his being God, derives his Deity from the 
Father. When he is called God, it is then only not 
expressed that he is from the Father; which deriva- 
tion is particularly noted when the word Son is em- 
ployed. Indeed, the essence of God can in no man- 
ner come under our consideration, except it be said 
1 that the Divine Essence is communicated to the 
Son by the Father.' Nor can it possibly, in any 
different respect whatever, be said that this essence 
is both 'communicated to him' and not 'communica- 
ted ;' because these expressions are contradictory, 
and can in no diverse respect be reconciled to each 
other. If the Son have the Divine Essence from 
himself in reference to its being absolutely consid- 
ered, it cannot be communicated to him ; if it be com- 
municated to him in reference to its being relatively 
considered, he cannot have it from himself in refer- 
ence to its being absolutely considered. 

" I shall probably be asked, 'Do you not acknowl- 
edge that to be the Son of God and to be God are two 
U2 



234 DIVINITY OF CHRIST. 

things entirely distinct from each other V I reply, 
undoubtedly, I subscribe to such distinction. But 
when those who make it proceed still farther, and 
say, ' Since to be the Son of God signifies that he de- 
rives his essence from the Father, to be God in like 
manner signifies nothing less than that he has his 
essence from himself or from no one, 5 I deny this 
assertion, and declare, at the same time, that it is 
a great and manifest error, not only in sacred the- 
ology, but likewise in natural philosophy. For these 
two things, to be the Son and to be God, are at per- 
fect agreement with each other , but to derive his 
essence from the Father, and, at the same time, to de- 
rive it from no one, are evidently contradictory, and 
mutually destructive the one of the other. 

" But, to make this fallacy still more apparent, it 
must be observed how equal in force and import 
are certain double ternary and parallel propositions, 
when standing in the following juxtaposition : 

" God is from eternity, possessing the Divine Es- 
sence from eternity. 

" The Father is from no one, having the Divine 
Essence from no one. 

" The Son is from the Father, having the Divine 
Essence from the Father. 

" The word ' God,' therefore, signifies that He has 
the true Divine Essence ; but the word ' Son' signi- 
fies that He has the Divine Essence from the Fa- 
ther : on this account he is correctly denominated 
both God and the Son of God. But since He can- 
not be styled the Father, he cannot possibly be said 
to have the Divine Essence from himself or from no 
one. Yet much labour is devoted to the purpose 
of excusing these expressions, by saying, ' that 
when the Son of God, in reference to his being 
God, is said to have his essence from himself, that 
form of speech signifies nothing more than that 
the Divine Essence is not derived from any one.' 
But if this be thought to be the most proper mode 



DIVIVITY OF CHRIST. 235 

of action which should be adopted, there will be 
no depraved or erroneous sentiment which can 
be uttered that may not thus find a ready excuse. 
For though God and the Divine Essence do not dif- 
fer substantially, yet whatever may be predicated 
of the Divine Essence can by no means be equally 
predicated of God ; because they are distinguished 
from each other in our mode of framing concep- 
tions, according to which mode all forms of speech 
ought to be examined, since they are employed only 
with a design that through them we should receive 
correct impressions. This is very obvious from the 
following examples, in which we speak with perfect 
correctness when we say, * Deum mortuum esse? and 
1 the Essence of God is communicated ;' but very 
incorrectly when we say, ' God is communicated.' 
That man who understands the difference existing 
between concrete and abstract, about which there 
were such frequent disputes between us and the 
Lutherans, will easily perceive what a number of ab- 
surdities will ensue if explanations of this descrip- 
tion be once tolerated in the Church of God. There- 
fore, in no way whatever can this phrase, l The Son 
of God is autotheori* [' God of himself,' or ' in his own 
right'], be excused as a correct one, or as having 
been happily expressed. Nor can that be called a 
proper form of speech which says, 4 The Essence of 
God is common to three persons ;' but it is improper, 
since the Divine Essence is declared to be communi- 
cated by one of them to another. 

" The observations which I now make I wish to 
be particularly regarded, because it may appear 
from them how much we are capable of tolerating 
in a man whom we do not suspect of heresy ; and, 
on the contrary, with what avidity we seize upon 
any trivial circumstance by which we may inculpate 
another man whom we hold under the ban of suspi- 
cion. Of such partiality this incident affords two 
manifest examples. 



236 JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD. 

" IX. The Justification of Man before God. 

" I am not conscious to myself of having taught 
or entertained any other sentiments concerning the 
justification of man before God than those which are 
held unanimously by the Reformed and Protestant 
Churches, and which are in complete agreement 
with their expressed opinions. 

" There was lately a short controversy in relation 
to this subject between John Piscator, professor 
of Divinity in the University of Herborn in Nassau, 
and the French Churches. It consisted in the de- 
termination of these two questions: (1.) 'Is the 
obedience or righteousness of Christ, wmich is im- 
puted to believers, and in which consists their righ- 
teousness before God : is this only the passive obe- 
dience of Christ V which was Piscator' s opinion. 
Or (-2.) ; Is it not, in addition to this, that active 
righteousness of Christ which he exhibited to the 
law of God in the whole course of his life, and that 
holiness in which he was conceived?' which was 
the opinion of the French churches. But I never 
durst mingle myself with the dispute, or undertake 
to decide it ; for I thought it possible for the profes- 
sors of the same religion to hold different opinions 
on this point from others of their brethren, without 
any breach of Christian peace or the unity of faith. 
Similar peaceful thoughts appear to have been in- 
dulged by both the adverse parties in this dispute ; 
for they exercised a friendly toleration towards each 
other, and did not make that a reason for mutually 
renouncing their fraternal concord. But concern- 
ing such an amicable plan of adjusting differences 
certain individuals in our own country are of a dif- 
ferent judgment. 

" A question has been raised from these words of 
the Apostle Paul, ' Faith is imputed for righteous- 
ness.' — (Rom., iv.) The inquiry was, (1.) Whether 
those expressions ought to be properly understood, 



JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD. 237 

1 so that faith itself, as an act performed according 
to the command of the Gospel, is imputed before 
God for or unto righteousness, and that of grace ; 
since it is not the righteousness of the law.' (2.) 
Whether they ought to be figuratively and improperly 
understood, ' that the righteousness of Christ, being 
apprehended by faith, is imputed to us for righteous- 
ness.' Or (3.) Whether it is to be understood ' that 
the righteousness, for which or unto which faith is 
imputed, is the instrumental operation of faith,' 
which is asserted by some persons. In the theses 
on Justification, which were disputed under me 
when I was moderator, I have adopted the former 
of these opinions, not in a rigid manner, but simply, 
as I have likewise done in another passage wmich I 
wrote in a particular letter. It is on this ground 
that I am accounted to hold and to teach unsound 
opinions concerning the justification of man before 
God. But how unfounded such a supposition is, will 
be very evident at a proper season and in a mutual 
conference : for the present, I will only briefly say, 
* I believe that sinners are accounted righteous sole- 
ly by the obedience of Christ ; and that the righ- 
teousness of Christ is the only meritorious cause on 
account of which God pardons the sins of believers, 
and reckons them as righteous as if they had per- 
fectly fulfilled the law. But since God imputes the 
righteousness of Christ to none except believers, I 
conclude, that in this sense it may be well and prop- 
erly said, To a man who believes faith is imputed for 
righteousness through grace — because God hath set 
forth his Son Jesus Christ to be a propitiation, a 
throne of grace [or mercy-seat], through faith in 
his blood.' Whatever interpretation may be put 
upon these expressions, none of our divines blames 
Calvin, or considers him to be heterodox on this 
point ; yet my opinion is not so widely different 
from his as to prevent me from employing the sig- 
nature of my own hand in subscribing to those 



238 DUTCH CONFESSION. 

things which he has delivered on this subject in the 
Third Book of his Institutes ; this I am prepared to 
do at any time, and to give them my full approval. 

" Most noble and potent lords, these are the prin- 
cipal articles respecting which I have judged it ne- 
cessary to declare my opinion before this august 
meeting, in obedience to your commands. 

" X. The Revision of the Dutch Confession and 
the Heidelberg Catechism. 

"But, besides these things, I had some annotations 
to make on the Confession of the Dutch Churches and 
on the Heidelberg Catechism ; but they will be dis- 
cussed most appropriately in our synod, which, at 
the first opportunity, we hope to obtain through your 
consent, or, rather, by means of your summons. 
This is the sole request which I prefer to your 
mightinesses — that I may be permitted to offer a 
few brief remarks on a certain clause, subject to 
which their high mightinesses the States-General 
gave their consent to the convening of a national 
synod in this province [Holland], and the substance 
of which was, that in such synod the Confession and 
Catechism of the Dutch Churches should be subjected 
to examination. 

" This clause has given great umbrage to many 
persons, not only because they account it unneces- 
sary, but likewise unjust, to subject the Confession 
and Catechism to examination. They also suppose 
that I and a certain individual of great reputation 
are the persons who prevailed with the States-Gen- 
eral to have such a clause inserted. But it is by no 
means true that the revision of the Confession and 
Catechism is unnecessary and unjust, or that we 
were the instigators of their high mightinesses in 
this affair. With regard to the last of these two 
suppositions, so far were we from having any con- 
cern with the origin of that clause, that, eleven or 
twelve years ago, at the pressing importunity of the 



DUTCH CONFESSION. 239 

churches that prayed for a national synod, the States 
of South Holland and West Friezland at last judged 
it proper to consent to it by their decree, on no 
other condition than that in such synod the Confession 
of the Dutch Churches should be subjected to examine- 
tion. Yet we, at that time, neither endeavoured by 
our advice, nor by our influence, to promote any 
such measure. But if we had with all our might 
made the attempt, we should have been doing no- 
thing but what was compatible with our official 
duties ; because it is obviously agreeable to reason as 
well as to equity, and quite necessary in the present 
posture of affairs, that such a measure should be 
adopted : 

" First. That it may openly appear to all the 
world that we render to the Word of God alone such 
due and suitable honour, as to determine it to be 
beyond (or rather above) all disputes, too great to be 
the subject of any exception, and worthy of all ac- 
ceptation. 

" Secondly. Because these pamphlets are writings 
that proceed from men, and may on that account con- 
tain within them some portion of error, it is therefore 
proper to institute a lawful inquiry, that is, in a na- 
tional synod, whether or not there be anything in 
those productions which requires amendment. 

a 1. The first inquiry may be, Whether these hu- 
man writings are accordant in every part with the 
Word of God, with regard to the words themselves, 
the construction of the sentences, and the correct 
meaning. 

" 2. Wliether they contain whatever is necessary to 
be believed unto salvation, so that salvation is, ac- 
cording to this rule, not denied to those things to 
which it appertains. 

u 3. Whether it [the Rule of these Formularies] 
does not contain far too many particulars, and em- 
brace several that are not necessary to be believed unto 



240 DUTCH CONFESSION. 

salvation ; so that salvation is consequently attribu- 
ted to those things to which it does not belong. 

" 4. Whether certain words and forms of speech 
are not employed in them which are capable of be- 
ing understood in different ways, and furnishing oc- 
casion for litigation and dispute. Thus, for exam- 
ple, in the Fourteenth Article of the Confession, we 
read the following words : ' Nothing is done without 
God's ordination' [or appointment]. If by the word 
'ordination' is signified 'that God appoints things 
of any kind to be done,' this mode of enunciation is 
erroneous, and it follows, as a consequence from it, 
that God is the author of sin. But if it signify that 
6 whatever it be that is done, God ordains it to a good 
end,' the terms in which it is conceived are in that 
case correct. 

" 5. Whether things utterly repugnant to each oth- 
er may not be discovered in them. For instance, a 
certain individual who is highly honoured in the 
Church, addressed a letter to John Piscator, profes- 
sor of Divinity in the University of Herborn, in Nas- 
sau, and in it he exhorted him to confine himself 
within the opinion of the Heidelberg Catechism on 
the doctrine of justification. For this purpose he ci- 
ted three passages, which he considered to be at va- 
riance with Piscator's sentiments. But the learned 
professor replied, that he confined himself complete- 
ly within the doctrinal boundaries of the Catechism ; 
and then quoted out of that formulary ten or eleven 
passages as proofs of his sentiments. But I solemn- 
ly declare, I do not perceive by what method these 
several passages can possibly be reconciled with 
each other. 

" 6. Whether everything in these writings is di- 
gested in that due order in which the Scripture re- 
quires them to be placed. 

" 7. Whether all things are disposed in a manner 
the most suitable and convenient for preserving 



DUTCH CONFESSION. 241 

peace and unity with the rest of the Reformed 
Churches. 

" Thirdly. The third reason is, because a nation- 
al synod is held for the purpose of discovering 
whether all things in the Church are in a proper 
state or right condition. One of the chief duties 
which appertain to such an assembly is the exam- 
ination of doctrine, whether it be that which is ad- 
mitted by unanimous consent, or that for which par- 
ticular divines contend. 

u Fourthly. The fourth reason is, because an 
examination of this description will obtain for these 
writings a greater degree of authority, when, after a 
mature and rigid examination, they shall be found to 
agree with the Word of God, or shall be made con- 
formable to it in a still greater measure. Such an 
examination will also excite within the minds of 
men a greater value for Christian ministers, when 
they perceive that these sacred functionaries hold 
in the highest estimation that truth which is revealed 
in Scripture, and that their attachment to it is so 
great as to induce them to spare no labour, in order 
to render their own doctrine more and more conform- 
able to that revealed truth. 

'• Fifthly. The fifth reason why at this, if at any 
period, it is necessary to adopt the suggestions which 
we have mentioned, is, (I.) Because there are sev- 
eral individuals in the ministry who have certain 
views and considerations respecting some points 
contained in these writings, which they reserve in 
secret, and reveal to no one, because they hope that 
such points will become subjects of discussion in a 
national synod. Because such a convention has 
been promised, some of them have suffered them- 
selves to be persuaded not to give the least publicity 
to any of the views or considerations which they 
have formed on these subjects. 

" (2.) Besides, this will be the design of a nation- 
al synod — that their high mightinesses the States- 
X 



242 DUTCH CONFESSION. 

General may be pleased to establish and arm with 
public authority certain ecclesiastical sanctions, ac- 
cording to which every one may be bound to conduct 
himself in the Church of God. That this favour 
may be obtained from their high mightinesses, and 
that they may execute such a measure with a good 
conscience, it is necessary that they be convinced 
in their own understandings, that the doctrine con- 
tained in the formulary of union is agreeable to the Word 
of God. This is a reason which ought to induce us 
spontaneously to propose an examination of our 
Confession before their high mightinesses, and to 
offer either to show that it is in accordance with the 
Word of God, or to render it conformable to that 
Divine standard. 

" Sixthly. The sixth reason is drawn from the 
example of those w T ho are associated together under 
the Augustan Confession, and from the conduct of 
the Swiss and the French Churches, that have with- 
in two or three years enriched their Confessions 
with one entirely new article. And the Dutch Con- 
fession has itself been subjected to examination 
since it was first published ; some things having 
been taken away from it, and others added, while 
some of the rest have undergone various alterations. 

" Numerous other reasons might be produced, but 
I omit them ; because I consider those already men- 
tioned to be quite sufficient for proving that the 
clause concerning examination and revision^ as it is 
termed, was with the greatest justice and propriety 
inserted in the instrument of consent of which we 
have made previous mention. 

" I am not ignorant that other reasons are adduced 
in opposition to these ; and one in particular, which 
is made a principal subject of public conversation, 
and is accounted of all others the most solid. To 
it, therefore, I consider it necessary to offer a brief 
reply. It is thus stated ; 

" ' By such an examination as this, the doctrine of 



DUTCH CONFESSION. 243 

the Church will be called in question ; which is 
neither an act of propriety nor of duty. 

" ' I. Because this doctrine has obtained the appro- 
bation and suffrages of many respectable and learned 
men ; and has been strenuously defended against all 
those who have offered it any opposition. 

" ' II. Because it has been sealed with the blood 
of many thousand martyrs. 

"'III. Because from such an examination will 
arise, within the Church, confusion, scandal, offences, 
and the destruction of consciences ; and, out of the 
Church, ridicule, calumnies, and accusations.' 

" To all these I answer : 

" 1. It would be much better not to employ such 
odious forms of speech as to call in question, and 
others of that class, when the conversation is only 
respecting some human composition, which is liable to 
have error intermixed with its contents ; for with 
what right can any writing be said to be called in ques- 
tion or in doubt, which was never of itself unques- 
tionable, or ought to be considered as indubitable ? 

" 2. The approbation of divines, the defence of a 
composition against its adversaries, and the sealing of 
it with blood of martyrs, do not render any doctrine 
authentic, or place it beyond the limits of doubt : 
because it is possible both for divines and martyrs 
to err — a circumstance which can admit of no de- 
nial in this argument. 

" 3. A distinction ought to be made between the 
different matters contained in the Confession ; for 
while some of them make a near approach to the 
foundation of salvation, and are fundamental articles 
of the Christian religion, others of them are built up 
as a superstructure on the foundation, and of them- 
selves are not absolutely necessary to salvation. The 
doctrines of the former class are approved by the 
unanimous consent of all the Reformed, and are 
effectually defended against all gainsaying adver- 
saries. But those of the latter class become subjects 



244 DUTCH CONFESSION. 

of controversy between different parties : and some 
of these are attacked by enemies, not without som< 
semblance of truth and justice. 

" The blood of martyrs has sealed those of th 
former class, but by no means those of the latter. 
In reference to this affair, it ought to be diligently 
observed, what was proposed by the martyrs of our 
days, and on what account they shed their blood 
If this be done, it will be found that no man among 
them was ever interrogated on that subject which I 
consider it equitable to make a prominent part in 
the deliberations of a synod, and, therefore, that no 
martyr ever sealed it with his blood. I will produce 
an example : When a question was raised about the 
meaning of the seventh chapter of the Epistle to 
the Romans, one individual said, ' that the passage 
was quoted in the margin of the Confession exactly 
in the same sense as he had embraced it, and that 
the martyrs had with their own blood sealed this 
Confession.' But, in reply to this, it was stated, 
'that if the strictest search be instituted throughout 
the entire large History of the Martyrs, as it is pub- 
lished by the French, it will be discovered that no 
martyr has at any period been examined on that 
passage, or has shed his blood on that account.' 

" To sum up the whole : The blood of the martyrs 
tends to confirm this truth — that they have made 
profession of their faith ' in simplicity and sincerity 
of conscience.' But it is by no means conclusive 
that the Confession which they produced is free 
from every degree of reprehension, or superior to 
all exception, unless they had been led by Christ into 
all truth, and therefore rendered incapable of erring. 

" 4. If the Church be properly instructed in that 
difference which really does, and always ought to, 
exist between the Word of God and all human writings; 
and if the Church be also rightly informed con- 
cerning that liberty which she and all Christians 
possess, and which they will always enjoy, to 



e 

: 

i 



DUTCH CONFESSION. 245 

measure all human compositions by the standard 
rule of God's Word — she will neither distress herself 
on that account, nor will she be offended on perceiv- 
ing all human writings brought to be proved at the 
touch-stone of God's Word. On the contrary, she 
will rather feel far more abundant delight, when she 
sees that God has bestowed on her in this country 
such pastors and teachers as try at the chief touch- 
stone their own doctrine, in a manner at once suit- 
able, proper, just, and worthy of perpetual observ- 
ance ; and that they do this, to be able exactly, and 
by every possible means, to express their agreement 
with the Word of God, and their consent to it, even 
in the most minute particulars. 

" 5. But it is no less proper, that the doctrine once 
received in the Church should be subjected to exami- 
nation, however great the fears may be ■ lest dis- 
turbances should ensue, and lest evil-disposed per- 
sons should make such revision an object of ridicule, 
calumny, or accusation,' or should even turn it to 
their own great advantage, [by representing the 
matter so as to induce a persuasion] 'that those 
who propose this examination are not sufficiently 
confirmed in their own religion;' when, on the con- 
trary, this is one of God's commands, ' Search and 
try the spirits whether they be of God.'' — (1 John, iv., 1.) 
If cogitations of that description had operated as 
hinderances on the minds of Luther, Zuinglius, and 
others, they would never have pried into the doctrine 
of the papists, or have subjected it to a scrutinizing 
examination: nor would those who adhere to the 
Augustan Confession have considered it proper to 
submit that formulary again tc a new and complete 
revision, and to alter it in some particulars. This 
deed of theirs is an object of our praise and ap- 
proval : and we conclude that, when Luther, to- 
wards the close of his life, was advised by Philip 
Melancthon to bring the eucharistic controversy on 
the sacrament of the Lord's Supper to some better 
X2 



246 DUTCH CONFESSION. 

state of concord (as it is related in the writings of 
our own countrymen), he acted very improperly in 
rejecting that counsel, and in casting it back as a 
reproach on Philip, for this reason, as they state 
his declaration, ' lest by such an attempt to effect 
an amicable conclusion, the ivhole doctrine should be 
called in question.'' Besides, if reasons of this kind 
ought to be admitted, the papists with the best right 
and the greatest propriety formerly endeavoured to 
prevent the doctrine, which had for many preceding 
centuries been received in the Church, from being 
called in question, or subjected again to examination. 

" But it has been suggested, in opposition to these 
reasons, 'that if the doctrine of the Churches be 
submitted to an entirely new revision, as often as a 
national synod shall be held, the Church would 
never have anything to which it might adhere, or on 
which it might firmly depend, and it will be possible 
to declare with great justice, concerning churches 
thus circumstanced, " that they have an anniversary 
faith" — are tossed to and fro, and carried about with 
every wind of doctrine.'' — (Ephes., iv., 14.) 

" 1. My first answer to these remarks is, the 
Church always has Moses and the Prophets, the 
Evangelists and the Apostles — that is, the Scriptures 
of the Old and of the New Testament ; and these 
Scriptures fully and clearly comprehend whatever 
is necessary to salvation. Upon them the Church 
will lay the foundation of her faith, and will rest 
upon them as on an immovable basis, principally 
because, how highly soever we may esteem con- 
fessions and catechisms, every decision on matters 
of faith and religion must obtain its final resolution 
in the Scriptures. 

" 2. Some points in the Confession are certain, 
and do not admit of a doubt : these will never be 
called in question by any one, except by heretics. 
Yet there are other parts of its contents which are 
of such a kind as may, with the most obvious utility, 



DUTCH CONFESSION. 247 

become frequent subjects of conference and discus- 
sion between men of learning who fear God — for the 
purpose of reconciling them with those indubitable 
articles as nearly as is practicable. 

" 3. Let it be attempted to make the Confession 
contain as few articles as possible ; and let it propose 
them in a very brief form, conceived entirely in the 
expressions of Scripture. Let all the more ample 
explanations, proofs, digressions, redundancies, am- 
plifications, and exclamations, be omitted ; and let 
nothing be delivered in it except those truths which 
are necessary to salvation. The consequences of 
this brevity will be, that the Confession will be less 
liable to be filled with errors, not so obnoxious to 
obloquy, and less subject to examination. Let the 
practice of the ancient Church be produced as an 
example, that comprehended, in as brief a form of 
words as was practicable, those articles which she 
judged necessary to be believed. 

" Some individuals form a distinction between the 
Confession and the Catechism with respect to revis- 
ion ; and, since the Confession is the peculiar prop- 
erty of the Dutch Churches, and is on that account 
found in the hands of comparatively few people, 
they conclude ' that it is possible without any diffi- 
culty to revise it in a synod, and subject it to exami- 
nation.' But since the Catechism belongs not only 
to us, but likewise, and principally, to the Churches 
of the Palatinate, and is, therefore, to be found in the 
hands of all men, the same persons consider the 
examination of it ' to be connected with greal peril.' 
But to this I reply, If we be desirous of constitu- 
ting the Heidelberg Catechism a formulary of concord 
among the teachers of the churches, and if they be 
obliged to subscribe it, it is still necessary to subject 
it to examination ; for no churches whatever ought 
to hold such a high station in our esteem as to in- 
duce us to receive any writing of their composition 
without, at the same time, reserving to ourselves the 



248 CONCLUDING ADDRESS. 

liberty of submitting it to a nice scrutiny ; and I 
account this to be the principal cause why the 
churches of different provinces, although at perfect 
agreement with each other on the fundamental 
points of Christian doctrine, have each composed 
for themselves their own confessions. But if the 
Heidelberg Catechism be not allowed to become a 
formulary of this kind, and if a suitable liberty be 
conceded in the explanation of it, it w T ill not then be 
.necessary either to revise it or subject it to exami- 
nation ; provided. I repeat, that the obligatory bur- 
den of subscription be removed, and a moderate 
liberty be conceded in its explanation. 

" Concluding Address. 
" This is all that I had to propose to your mighti- 
nesses as to my most noble, potent, wise, and pru- 
dent masters. While I own myself bound to render 
an account of all my actions to the members of 
this most noble and potent assembly (next after 
God), I at the same time present to them my humble 
and grateful acknowledgments, because they have 
not disdained to grant me a courteous and patient 
audience. I embrace this opportunity solemnly to 
declare, that I am sincerely prepared to institute an 
amicable and fraternal conference with my reverend 
brethren (at whatever time or place, and on what- 
ever occasion this honourable assembly may judge 
proper to appoint) on all the topics which I have 
now mentioned, and on any other concerning which 
it will be possible for a controversy to exist, or at 
some future period to arise. I also make this ad- 
ditional promise, that I will in every conference 
conduct myself with equanimity, moderation, and 
docility, and will show myself not less actuated by 
the desire of being taught than by that of communi- 
cating to others some portion of instruction. And 
since, in the discussion of every topic on which it 
will be possible to institute a conference, two points 



CONCLUDING ADDRESS. 249 

will become objects of attention: First, ' Whether 
that be true which is the subject of the controversy ;' 
and, Secondly, 'Whether it be necessary to be believed 
unto salvation ;' and since both these points ought to 
be discussed and proved out of the Scriptures, I 
here tender my sacred affirmation, and solemnly 
bind myself hereafter to observe it, that, however 
cogently I may have proved by the most solid [hu- 
man] arguments any article to be agreeable to the 
Word of God, I will not obtrude it for an article of 
belief on those of my brethren who may entertain 
a different opinion respecting it, unless I have plainly 
proved it from the Word of God, and have, with 
equal clearness, established its truth, and the neces- 
sity unto salvation that every Christian should enter- 
tain the same belief. 

" If my brethren will be prepared to act in this 
manner, as far as I know the complexion of my own 
opinions, there will not easily arise among us any 
schism or controversy. But, that I may on my part 
remove every cause of fear that can possibly invade 
this most noble assembly — occupied and engaged as 
its honourable members now are with important 
concerns, on which, in a great measure, depends 
the safety of our native country and of the Reformed 
Churches — I subjoin this remark, that those things 
which I am unwilling to tolerate in my brethren 
must amount to a great numbek, and be of vast im- 
portance ; for I am not of the congregation of those 
who wish to have dominion over the faith of another 
man, but am only a minister to believers, with the 
design of promoting in them an increase of knowl- 
edge, truth, piety, peace, and joy in Jesus Christ our 
Lord. 

"But if my brethren cannot perceive how they 
can possibly tolerate me, or allow me a place among 
them, in reference to myself, I indulge in no hope 
that a schism will on this account be formed. May 
God avert any such catastrophe ! since far too many 



250 FINAL PERSEVERANCE. 

schisms have already arisen and spread themselves 
abroad among Christians. It ought rather to be the 
earnest endeavour of every one to diminish their 
number, and destroy their influence. Yet, even un- 
der such circumstances [when I shall be rejected 
from the communion of my brethren], in patience 
will I possess my soul ; and though in that case I 
shall resign my office, yet I will continue to live for 
the benefit of our common Christianity, as long as 
it may please God to lengthen out my days and pro- 
long my existence : never forgetting this sentiment, 
Sat Ecclesice, sat Patrice, datum — Enough has been 

DONE TO SATISFY THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AND MY COUN- 
TRY !" 

It will be perceived by the attentive reader that, 
in two points, namely, on the possibility of final 
apostacy, and the living without sin, Arminius hes- 
itates about giving a decided opinion, but wishes for 
an opportunity to discuss them before a synod. In 
another article, however, on the doctrine of the final 
perseverance of the saints, he proposes the follow- 
ing queries and answers, which show plainly enough 
that his mind strongly leaned towards that which 
asserts the possibility of total apostacy, a doctrine 
this as unequivocally revealed in the sacred Scrip- 
tures as any other truth whatever. 

84 1. Is it possible for true believers to fall away to- 
tally and finally 1 

81 2. Do some of them, in reality, totally and finally 
fall from the faith'? 

81 3. The opinion which denies that true believers 
and regenerate persons are either capable of falling 
away, or actually do fall away from the faith total- 
ly and finally, was never, from the very times of 
the apostles down to the present day, accounted by 
the Church a catholic verity : neither has that 
which affirms the contrary ever been reckoned as 
an heretical opinion ; nay, that which affirms it pos- 
sible for believers to fall away from the faith has 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 251 

always had more supporters in the Church of Christ 
than that which denies its possibility, or its actually 
occurring." 

On the doctrine of Christian perfection or sanc- 
tification, he afterward gives his views in the fol- 
lowing words, which certainly come up to the sen- 
timents so clearly expressed by Wesley, Fletcher, 
and other able writers on this important point of 
Christian experience : 

He says, " When we treat about man as a sinner, 
then sanctification is thus defined : It is a gracious 
act of God, by which He purifies man, who is a sin- 
ner, and yet a believer, from the darkness of igno- 
rance, from indwelling sin, and from its lusts and 
desires, and imbues him with the spirit of knowl- 
edge, righteousness, and holiness ; that, being sep- 
arated from the life of the world and made conform- 
able to God, man may live the life of God, to the 
praise of the righteousness and of the glorious grace 
of God, and to his own salvation. Therefore, this 
sanctification consists in these two things : in the 
death of the ' old man, who is corrupt according to 
the deceitful lusts,' and in the quickening or enli- 
vening of the 5 new man, who, after God, is created 
in. righteousness and the holiness of truth.' 

" The author of sanctification is God, the Holy Fa- 
ther himself, in his Son, who is the Holy of Holies 
through the spirit of holiness. The external instru- 
ment is the Word of God ; the internal one is faith 
yielded to the Word preached ; for the Word does 
not sanctify only as it is preached, unless the faith 
be ordered by which the hearts of men are purified." 

Surely he here asserts his full belief in the doc- 
trine of entire sanctification, as it is now held by the 
Methodists ; and that he held that this is attainable 
in this life, is manifest from what he affirms towards 
the conclusion of his article on this subject, where 
he says, " But in sanctification, it serves to sanctify 
men who have obtained remission of their sins, tha 



252 ROMAN CATHOLICISM. 

they may farther be enabled to offer worship and 
sacrifices to God through Christ." 

The only point, therefore, in which Wesley differ- 
ed from the Dutch Reformer is, that the latter taught 
that sin is daily, or gradually weakened, and the for- 
mer believed that the work of sanctification was 
both instantaneous and gradual : a difference, after 
all, more in name than reality ; for, if we be ever 
delivered from sin in this life or the next, there must 
be a time, a moment when sin ceases to exist, and 
we are then delivered from its dominion. 

In the preceding declaration, reference is made to 
certain articles which had been put in circulation 
as containing the sentiments of Arminius, but which 
he denies to be a true statement of what he believed 
and taught. As many of these, however, are of a 
very frivolous character, it seems hardly necessary 
to recount them here, more especially as his an- 
swers, all of which are given in a very candid and 
able manner, are in accordance with what is con- 
tained in the above declaration. They show, also, 
the weakness and malignity of his adversaries, and 
how industriously they were engaged in fabricating 
objections against this holy and indefatigable minis- 
ter of Jesus Christ. 

But there is one objection, of such a singular 
character to be preferred against a man who had 
done so much to favour and defend the principles 
of the Reformation, that it seems proper to intro- 
duce it. together with his answer. Although he had 
solemnly declared, a short time after the conference 
held before the Supreme Court, on May 14, 1608, 
that the Pope of Rome was " an adulterer and the 
pander of the Church, a false prophet and the tail 
of the dragon, the adversary of God and of Christ, 
the Antichrist, the evil servant who beats his fallen 
servants, one who is unworthy of the title of bishop, 
the destroyer and spoiler of the Church ;" not- 
withstanding this explicit declaration, an individual 



SLANDERS REFUTED. 252 

was found base enough to accompany a letter, whieh 
he sent to Germany, with a mutilated title prefixed 
to the thesis of Arminius, On the Secession from the 
Church of Rome, so as to induce foreigners and those 
unacquainted with these topics to conclude that he 
had a strong attachment to the Church of Rome. 
This had such an effect upon a minister of Amster- 
dam, the former scene of Arminius's labours, as to 
lead him to assert publicly, that he was " a most im- 
pure divine, and one who accounted the Roman 
pontiff to be a member of the body of Christ." " This 
doctrine," he exclaimed, " is so displeasing to God, 
that, as it had been observed by some men of pru- 
dence, from time to time, when certain people un- 
dertook to defend it, the affairs of the Republic had 
begun to decline, and some of the most strongly- 
fortified cities had been seized by the enemy." To 
this vile slander was added another, namely, " that 
Arminius was the cause of the defection of many 
persons to popery; and that he afforded an oppor- 
tunity to many politicians less resolutely to deny 
the exercise of the popish religion to those by whom 
it was desired." 

He very justly complained of these slanderous 
representations to his friends, and particularly to the 
burgomasters of Amsterdam, and proved, by his let- 
ters to them, their utter falsity. The following let- 
ter to one of those civil magistrates is sufficiently 
pointed and explicit, one might suppose, to put to 
silence all such unfounded reports. 

" I openly declare," says he, " that I do not own 
the Roman pontiff to be a member of Christ's body ; 
but I account him an enemy, a traitor, a sacrile- 
gious and blasphemous man, a tyrant, and a violent 
usurper of most unjust domination over the Church, 
the man of sin, the son of perdition, that most noto- 
rious outlaw, &c. But in this description I under- 
stand a pope who discharges the duties of the pon- 
tificate in the usual manner. But, if an Adrian of 
Y 



*254 SLANDERS REFUTED. 

Utrecht, raised to the pontifical dignity without in- 
trigue, were to attempt a reformation of the Church, 
and were to make a commencement at the pope 
himself, the pontificate, and the Court of Rome, and 
if he were to assume to himself nothing more than 
the name and authority of a bishop, though holding, 
according to the ancient canons of the Church, the 
principal station among the rest of the bishops, on 
such a man I durst not bestow these epithets ; for I 
cannot persuade myself that an individual whom 
the satellites of anti-Christianity and the Court of 
Rome hated so dreadfully as to deprive him of ex- 
istence, is that exceedingly wicked one whom I have 
described. It is believed that Adrian was poisoned 
by those who were afraid of his effecting a reform 
in the Church, and especially in the Court of Rome, 
yet I am of opinion, and I think it can be proved 
with great appearance of probability from the Scrip- 
tures, that a reform must not be expected from any 
one who is elevated to the Roman pontificate ; and 
that, if a person allows himself to be promoted to 
that dignity in hopes of personally accomplishing 
such a reform, he will incur the certain peril of 
death or exile, because God himself hath so ordered 
that matter ; for the pope shall be destroyed at the 
second glorious advent of Christ ; and according to 
predictions, the reform will take place by the sep- 
aration of the nations from Babylon, which typical 
city will not be destitute of a head. But if that 
preacher supposes it to be a consequence which 
flows from the sentiment which I hold about God 
having not yet sent a bill of divorce to the Church in 
which the Roman pontiff presides, that I acknowledge 
the pontiff himself as a member of the Church, by 
such a supposition he declares himself incapable of 
distinguishing between those who have been led astray 
and still endure the tyranny, and the false prophet and 
tyrant himself who spontaneously divests himself 
of the appellation of a member of the Church, by as- 



SLANDERS REFUTED. 255 

suming the title of head of the Church, and by actu- 
ally excommunicating, or holding as excommunica- 
ted, all those who are unwilling to recognise him 
in that character. But if, on this account, such a 
charge can lawfully be made against me, I have, as 
my associates in this crime, Francis Junius and 
Luke Trelcatius, both of pious memory, besides Go- 
marus himself, and the greatest part of our divines." 

This letter, and other means which he used to 
vindicate himself from the accusations of his adver- 
saries, were perfectly satisfactory to his friends, 
nor would his enemies themselves allege anything 
against his mode of defence. It is farther manifest 
that Arminius laboured most assiduously for peace, 
for the union of all the bodies of Protestants, believ- 
ing that they might differ in opinion in many unes- 
sential points, and still keep the unity of the spirit in 
the bonds of peace. On this account, some have ac- 
cused him of laxity of principle, and a want of clear- 
ness on some points of Christian doctrine. This, 
however, originated from not knowing precisely the 
position he occupied, or from not distinguishing be- 
tween what he himself believed and taught, and 
what was promulgated by some of his followers, 
and hence has been called Arminianism. The fol- 
lowing extract from the Edinburgh Encyclopaedia 
will throw light upon this subject, as it appears to 
have been written with great candour and nice dis- 
crimination. 

" But the most eminent of those who became Ar- 
minians, or who ranked among the professed fol- 
lowers of Arminius, soon adopted views of the cor- 
ruption of man, of justification, of the righteousness of 
Christ, of the nature of faith, of the province of good 
works, and of the necessity and operations of grace, 
that are quite contrary to those which he had enter- 
tained and published : many of them, in process of 
time, differed more or less from one another on 
some or all of these points. Even the Confession 



256 SLANDERS REFUTED. 

of Faith which was drawn out for the Arminians 
by Episcopius, and is to be found in the second vol- 
ume of his works, cannot be referred to as a stand- 
ard : it was composed merely to counteract the 
reproach of their being a society without any com- 
mon principles. It is expressed chiefly in the words 
and phrases of Scripture, to which, of course, every 
one would annex his own meaning. Besides, no per- 
son, not even a pastor, was obliged, by any form, to 
adhere strictly to it, but every one was left entire- 
ly at liberty to interpret its language in the manner 
that was most agreeable to his own private senti- 
ments. Accordingly, so various and inconsistent 
are their opinions, that, could Arminius peruse the 
unnumbered volumes which have been written as 
expositions and illustrations of Arminian doctrine, 
he would be at a loss to discover his own simple 
system amid that heterogeneous mass of error 
with which it has been rudely mixed, and would be 
astonished to find that the controversy which he had 
unfortunately, but conscientiously, introduced, had 
wandered far from the point to which he had con- 
fined it, and that with his name dogmas were associ- 
ated, the unscriptural and dangerous nature of which 
he had pointed out and condemned. 

" At the same time, it must be acknowledged, that 
of this state of things, by which his memory is in- 
jured and thoughtless people are deceived, he him- 
self laid the foundation. The same temper of mind 
which led him to renounce the peculiarities of Cal- 
vinism, induced him also to adopt more enlarged 
and liberal views of church communion than those 
which had hitherto prevailed. While he maintained 
that the mercy of God is not confined to a chosen 
few, he conceived it to be quite inconsistent with 
the genius of Christianity, that men of that religion 
should keep at a distance from each other, and con- 
stitute separate churches, merely because they dif- 
fered in their opinions as to some of its doctrinal 



SLANDERS REFUTED. 257 

articles. He thought that Christians of all denomi- 
nations should form one great community, united 
and upheld by the bonds of charity and brotherly 
love ; with the exception, however, of Roman Cath- 
olics, who, on account of their idolatrous worship 
and persecuting spirit, must be unfit for members of 
such a society. That this was not only agreeable 
to the wishes of Arminius, but one chief object of 
his labours, is evident from a passage in his last 
will, which he made a little before his death : ' Ea 
propositi el docui qua, &c. All the doctrines ad- 
vanced by me have been such as might conduce to 
the propagation and increase of the truth of the 
Christian religion, of the true worship of God, of 
general piety, and of a holy conversation among 
men ; and such as might contribute, according to 
the Word of God, to a state of tranquillity and 
peace well befitting the Christian name ; and that 
from these benefits I have excluded the papacy, 
with which no unity of faith, no bond of piety or of 
Christian peace, can be preserved.' 

" Mosheim has stated this circumstance in a note 
to his history of the Arminian Church; but his 
statement, or, rather, the conclusion which he de- 
duces from it, is evidently unfair and incorrect. 
He alleges that Arminius had actually laid the plan 
of that theological system which was afterward 
embraced by his followers ; that he had inculcated 
the main and leading principles of it on the minds 
of his disciples ; and that Episcopius and others, 
who rejected Calvinism in more points than in that 
which related to the Divine decrees, only propagated 
with greater courage and perspicuity the doctrines 
which Arminianism, as taught by its founder, al- 
ready contained. These allegations, it is clear, 
have no sort of connexion with the passage from 
which they are drawn as inferences ; and they are 
wholly inconsistent with the assertions, and reason- 
ings, and declarations of Arminius, when he is dis- 
Y2 



258 SLANDERS REFUTED. 

cussing the merits of the question that was agitated 
between him and the Geneva school. Arminius, in 
addition to the scheme of doctrine which he taught, 
was anxious to establish this maxim, and to reduce 
it to practice, that, with the exception above men- 
tioned, no difference of opinions should prevent 
Christians from remaining in one church or reli- 
gious body. He did not mean to insinuate that a 
difference of opinion was of no consequence at all ; 
that they who thought one way were just as right 
as they who thought a contrary way, or that men 
have no occasion to be solicitous about the religious 
tenets which they hold. He did not mean to give 
up his own system as equally true or equally false 
with that of Calvin ; and as little could he be supposed 
to sanction those sentiments of his followers which 
were in direct opposition to the sentiments which 
he himself had maintained. But he endeavoured, in 
the first place, to assert liberty of conscience and 
of worship ; and then, upon that fundamental prin- 
ciple, to persuade all Christians, however divided in 
opinion, to lay aside the distinctions of sect and 
party, and in one united body to consult that tran- 
quillity and peace which is so agreeable to the 
Christian name. This we conceive to have been 
the object of Arminius ; an object so indicative of 
an enlightened mind, so congenial to that charity 
which hopeth all things and thinketh no evil, and 
so conducive to the interests of religion and the 
peace of the world, as to reflect the highest honour 
on him by whom it was first pursued, and to consti- 
tute the true glory of Arminianism. 

" From the remarks which we have made, an ac- 
curate idea may be formed of that system which is 
properly entitled Arminianism ; and, consequently, 
of the justice with which those are called Arminians 
who commonly assume that appellation. The con- 
fusion which prevails on this subject has arisen, in 
a great measure, from not attending to the distinc- 
tion between holding purely Arminian doctrine^ and 



TESTIMONY CLOSED. 259 

"belonging to the Arrninian Church. Even a Calvinist, 
who necessarily rejects the former, may yet be a 
member of the latter (though we doubt if there be 
any instances of this on record) ; because, accord- 
ing to the views and wishes of Arminius, that 
Church is, exclusively of papists, the church uni- 
versal, actually and freely receiving into its bosom 
Christians of every sect. The number of true Ar- 
minians has never, we believe, been very great ; 
but it appears that almost, all who have been call- 
ed Arminians have agreed in being Anti-Calvinists, 
so far as the dogmas respecting unconditional elec- 
tion, particular redemption, and the irresistibility of 
Divine grace are involved." 

We may here close the testimony in favour of the 
character, the doctrines, and the general conduct of 
Arminius. That he was eminent for sound learning, 
for deep and accurate investigation, and that he 
shone in all the graces of Christianity, must be in- 
disputable to all who have candidly examined and 
duly weighed what has been adduced. He indeed 
stands forth with a halo of glory, derived from the 
Sun of righteousness, which eclipsed the glory of 
all his competitors, which manifestly excited the 
envy of those who felt the weight of his talents, and 
whose conscious inferiority made them quail before 
the lustre of his character. Truth was most evi- 
dently the object of his pursuit, and righteousness 
was his helmet. To attain these he forsook that 
which was most dear to him, sacrificed his predilec- 
tions, incurred the displeasure of many of his former 
friends and associates, and was reconciled to be con- 
sidered as the " filth and offscouring of the world." 
In him, indeed, was verified the truth of the apostle's 
declaration, " All that will live godly in Christ Jesus 
must suffer persecution." That James Arminius 
did suffer persecution for righteousness' sake, and 
for following his convictions of truth with unwaver- 
ing perseverance, is abundantly attested in the pre- 
ceding pages. 



260 SICKNESS AND DEATH. 



CHAPTER V. 

HIS LAST SICKNESS AND DEATH. 

Let us now follow this great and good man to 
the bed of death, and see whether the religion which 
he professed armed him against its terrors. 

There can be little reason to doubt that the men- 
tal sufferings he underwent from the numerous false 
charges which were preferred against him, and his 
immense labours, hastened the termination of his 
mortal existence ; for, in addition to the immedi- 
ate duties of his office as theological professor, we 
have seen how incessantly he was assailed by his 
adversaries, which made it necessary for him to vin- 
dicate himself, and this he did fully and at length. 
This imposed upon him great additional labour. 
"A wounded spirit who can bear?'' Nothing, in- 
deed, occasions more poignant grief to a good man. 
than to have his reputation assailed by the tongue 
of slander, or his doctrines misrepresented for party 
purposes, because he knows full well that the holy 
cause in which he is engaged is, in some measure at 
least, identified with his own character, and that 
even truth itself may suffer for a while by false rep- 
resentations. And perhaps no minister of Jesus 
Christ has suffered more by a misrepresentation of 
his doctrines than James Arminius ; for even to 
the present hour, Arminianism is considered by 
many, who, it would seem, ought to know better, as 
including almost everything heterodox in religious 
belief, and, therefore, as undermining the Gospel of 
God our Saviour. 

The time had now arrived, however, when Ar- 
minius was to be called to resign up his breath to 



HIS SUFFERINGS. 261 

God who gave it. A latent disease, which had been 
preying upon his vital functions for some time, now 
broke out with much violence, attended with those 
alarming symptoms, which induced his physicians 
instantly to adopt a cautious mode of treatment. 
Though at the commencement of the attack it near- 
ly prostrated his strength, yet at intervals he was 
able to pursue his customary labours, in delivering 
lectures and attending to other duties of his voca- 
tion. During these intervals from physical suffer- 
ings, he made several excursions to the Hague on 
business relating to the Church, and on one of these 
occasions he embraced the opportunity, in the pres- 
ence of many witnesses, of making a declaration 
of his sentiments, with a view to vindicate himself 
from false aspersions. This afforded him great 
consolation, as he flattered himself that, in case he 
should die suddenly, those who had heard him would 
be able to do justice to his memory. 

After this he visited Oudewater, his native town, 
for the purpose of recruiting his declining health. 
Instead, however, of gaining strength, he was seized 
so violently with a paroxysm of his disorder, that 
he was so prostrated that his friends were much 
alarmed for his safety. Among others who mourn- 
ed over the afflictions of Arminius was Episcopius, 
his former pupil, and who afterward so ably and elo- 
quently defended the cause of the Arminians at the 
Synod of Dort. Being at a distance from his venera- 
ble preceptor, whom he always addressed as his 
father in the Gospel, he received information of his 
dangerous illness from a mutual friend, who conclu- 
ded his letter in the following words : "I am much 
afraid that this most excellent light will be taken 
away from us before the time. But what can be 
done ? We cannot resist God, who wills nothing 
but what is good, and what is really good to his peo- 
ple. Let us importunately apply to him in earnest 
prayer, and add fasting to our supplication, that 



262 LETTER OF EPISCOPIUS. 

God may at least not so speedily deprive us of his 
presence." 

This intelligence greatly affected Episcopius, and 
he immediately addressed a letter to Arminius, of 
which the following is an extract : 

u Reverend Doctor, most honoured Father, 
"Although since my departure I have addressed no 
letter to you, yet I would not have you believe that 
this has been occasioned by any forgetfulness of 
you, or by a supine and ungrateful neglect of your 
merits. But though my depend ance on your singu- 
lar affection for me, from wilich I have confidently 
promised myself many and great things ; and chiefly 
through the knowledge I had, that beside these se- 
rious and important occupations, all of w T hich now 
assail you together and devolve on your head, you 
are likewise distracted with the distressing pain of 
a pertinacious disorder, I durst not farther distract 
you, when it was not in my power to elevate your 
spirits or to afford you entertainment, and I was also 
unwilling to be troublesome to one who is more than 
sufficiently afflicted ; I therefore thought you would 
be satisfied with my grateful recollection of you, 
and by the frequent indications of my affectionate 
regards through those to whom I occasionally 
wrote. I wish, and may God grant that we might 
be allowed to recollect you, Rev. Sir, with pleasure 
in this most desperate age, to which, through you, 
God Almighty seems to have manifested some rem- 
edy. Oh that he had not merely manifested it ! for 
what do we now behold 1 While we are indulging 
anxious desires, and, at the same time, exciting 
within ourselves the confidence of hope, yet no 
more agreeable intelligence is conveyed to us than 
that your disorder does not abate, but that it con- 
tinues still obstinate, and that it is irritated by the 
malignant and choleric actions of some persons, 
which induce a relapse after the disease had previ- 



DECLARES HIS SENTIMENTS. 263 

ously seemed to be removed. If you allow it pos- 
sible for me to ponder over your affairs only for one 
moment, and to place any value, however inade- 
quate, on both the utility and the necessity of your 
lectures, you may easily conceive how afflictive to 
me must be the tidings of your continued indispo- 
sition. I should be very ungrateful, if any day pass- 
ed by which did not, at frequent intervals, admonish 
and remind me of your malady ; the consideration 
of which does indeed afflict me every day in such a 
manner, that when it occurs to my mind, a fresh 
sympathy with the disorder seems to seize and in- 
fect me. Oh, that this sympathetic feeling could 
extend itself so far as to return you any solace or 
alleviation ! But it will not, perhaps, be the will of 
God to bless, by means of you, the men of this un- 
willing, ungrateful, and stubborn age, who are nei- 
ther desirous to know the things which make for 
their peace, nor to acknowledge the time of their 
visitation." 

Such a letter must have been very consoling to 
the heart of Arminius during the visitation of his 
sickness. And it shows, also, the high respect which 
was felt for him by one of the greatest men of the 
age, as well as the filial affection of one who had been 
taught the principles of theology by such a precept- 
or. The fears, however, of Episcopius respecting 
the disease under which Arminius groaned, were 
but too well founded, for he still lingered on under 
its corroding influence, manifesting, in the mean 
time, an humble submission to the Divine will. 

We have alluded to a declaration of his sentiments 
which he made before many witnesses at the Hague. 
It seems that the magistrates of Holland, that they 
might be able fully to understand these things, re- 
quested him to give them a copy of what he had 
spoken. On his return home, he was so enfeebled 
by the progress of his disease, that he was unable 



264 DISEASE INCREASES. 

to comply with this request. He therefore modest- 
ly excused himself in the following words : 

" Through indisposition I have been confined to 
the bed, and though I had already written a portion 
of what I was requested, I was compelled to de- 
sist. I had previously obtained a hearing from your 
lordships, when everything had been exhibited in a 
written form, and that former document, it was 
possible, might satisfy the urgency of their present 
demand. But if it were their express desire to have 
those parts which he had transcribed, he would 
make such dispositions and arrangements as to put 
them in possession of the whole in an entire and 
perfect state, in case of his restoration to health by 
the grace of Christ ; but if his sickness should be 
unto death, they should have them in their present 
unfinished and imperfect condition. In regard to 
the confession or declaration which he had delivered 
before them, so far was he from entertaining any 
doubts concerning it, that, on the contrary, in his 
deliberate judgment he considered it to agree in ev- 
ery particular with the Word of God. He therefore 
persisted in it, and with the faith which he had then 
professed he was prepared to appear at that very 
moment before the judgment seat of Christ, the Son 
of God, and the judge both of the living and the 
dead." 

In the mean time, his disease made rapid prog- 
ress upon his physical constitution, and resisted all 
the efforts of the three most eminent physicians 
then residing in Leyden, who attended him with 
the most assiduous care. Their skilful exertions 
were useless, for the obstinacy of his disease would 
not yield to the power of medicine, but its symp- 
toms indicated a complication of disorders which 
must soon terminate his existence. He had a 
troublesome cough, a burning fever, attended with 
an extension of the vitals, difficulty of breathing, 
great oppression after eating, disturbed and unre- 



HIS PRAYERS. 265 

freshing sleep, atrophy, and the gout; and these 
painful symptoms allowed him no rest. To these 
were succeeded pains in the intestines, with an ob- 
struction in the optic nerve of the left eye which 
produced great dimness. 

Such was the determined hostility of his adver- 
saries, that they pursued him with their slanders 
even while suffering upon the bed of death, a mo- 
ment this when even malice itself is generally dis- 
armed of its sting. They resorted even to some 
passages of sacred Scripture, in which God denoun- 
ced his judgments against his enemies, to prove that 
his severe sufferings were evidences of his displeas- 
ure against him. He, however, bore with exem- 
plary patience the intensity of his pains, making 
them a means of increasing his love to God and a 
trust in his fatherly goodness. Worn down as he 
was with this accumulation of maladies, Arminius 
still preserved his firmness of mind and cheerful- 
ness of temper, abating nothing of his instructive 
conversation with his friends, while he joyfully anti- 
cipated an everlasting rest at God's right hand. 

Nor did he cease to pour out his earnest prayers 
to God for himself and for the Church, and especial- 
ly that it might be delivered from those dissensions 
with which it was afflicted, and that peace and 
harmony might prevail. Whenever any of his 
brethren knelt in prayer with him, if he were pre- 
vented from uniting with them on account of the 
severe pains which came upon him, he would re- 
quest them to wait until the paroxysm subsided, 
that he might more composedly with them discharge 
this solemn duty. 

Among other prayers which he used on these try- 
ing occasions, he frequently used the following 
words : " thou great Shepherd, who, by the blood 
of the everlasting covenant, hast been brought again 
from the dead, Jesus, my Lord and Saviour, be 
Z 



266 EXTRACT FROM HIS WILL. 

present with me, a sheep of thine that is weak and 
afflicted." 

" O Lord Jesus, thou faithful and merciful High- 
Priest, who was pleased to be tempted in all things 
as we are, yet without sin, that, being taught by such 
experience how hard and painful a thing it is to 
obey God in suffering, thou mightest be touched 
with the feeling of our infirmities, have mercy upon 
me, succour me thy servant, who am now laid on 
a bed of sickness and oppressed with these numer- 
ous maladies. thou God of my salvation, render 
my soul fit for thy heavenly kingdom, and prepare 
my body for the resurrection." 

As the virulence of his disease increased continu- 
ally, his kind physicians thought it their duty to re- 
mind him of his danger, and that, if he had anything 
to do to set his house in order, it was necessary for 
him to attend to it soon, that his last wishes might 
be observed after his death, He received this in- 
formation with the utmost composure of mind, so 
much so that his friends who were surrounding his 
bed, and had been long intimately acquainted with 
him, were filled with admiration at the calmness 
and heroic firmness which he displayed on this try- 
ing occasion : they requested that they might be 
profited by his happy death, as they had often been 
by his instructions while in health. When, there- 
fore, he perceived that his dissolution was near, to 
prevent all mistakes respecting his religious senti- 
ments and feelings, in framing his will he dictated 
the following item respecting his designs and the 
tenour of his life : 

Extract from the Will of Arminius. 
" Above all, I commend my soul, on its departure 
from the body, into the hands of God, who is its 
Creator and faithful Saviour ; before whom, also, I 
testify that I have walked with simplicity and sin- 
cerity, and even in all good conscience in my office 



HIS DEATH. 267 

and vocation ; that I have guarded with the greatest 
solicitude and care against advancing or teaching 
anything which, after a diligent search into the 
Scriptures, I had not found exactly to agree with 
those sacred records ; and that all the doctrines ad- 
vanced by me have been such as might conduce to 
the propagation and increase of the truth of the 
Christian religion, of the true worship of God, of 
general piety, and of a holy conversation among 
men — and such as might contribute, according to 
the Word of God, to a state of tranquillity and peace 
well befitting the Christian name ; and that from 
those benefits I have excluded the papacy, with 
which no unity of faith, no bond of piety or of Chris- 
tian peace, can be preserved." 

Though this solemn declaration does not prove 
the truth of what he had taught, it certainly proves 
his sincerity, the purity of his motives, and the 
strong confidence with which he relied upon their 
efficacy to prepare him for the presence of his 
Judge, and thereby completely refuted the idle stor- 
ies circulated by his adversaries, that Arminius was 
a hypocrite, that he possessed a wicked heart, and 
that God had afflicted him in this severe manner as 
a punishment for his moral obliquities. 

Having completed all his arrangements in regard 
to his temporal matters, and expressed his reliance 
upon the truths he had so assiduously taught, he de- 
voted his few remaining days in calling upon Jesus 
Christ, in devout acknowledgments of God's lov- 
ing kindness, and in heavenly meditation. During 
this period he was visited by many of his friends, 
who came to condole with him, and, among others, 
was his companion and constant friend, John Uiten- 
bogardt, with whom he had long been united in the 
strictest bonds of Christian fellowship, and Borrius, 
with whom he conversed with the utmost freedom 
and familiarity, the latter of whom prayed with him 
daily. At length, about 12 o'clock of the nineteenth 



268 EFFECTS OF HIS LABOURS. 



day of October, with his eyes lifted up to heaven, 
amid the fervent prayers of those who were watch- 
ing around his bed, he peacefully glided into eterni- 
ty, leaving behind him a satisfactory testimony that 
he had gone to the rest prepared for the people of 
God. 

Thus closed the life and labours of this man of 
God. And though clouds of reproach have rested 
upon his memory and obscured the lustre of his 
character for a season, yet the more he is known 
the more highly will he be appreciated, honoured, 
and loved, while the truths which he taught have 
been gradually rising and spreading among mankind. 






CHAPTER VI. 

CONCLUDING REMARKS, SHOWING THE RESULTS OF THE 
LABOURS OF ARMINIUS. 

It could not well be otherwise than that the la- 
bours of such a man as James Arminius should 
exert a powerful and extensive influence on com- 
munity. Such, indeed, was the fact. His celebrity 
as a man of profound learning, of deep and unaf- 
fected piety, as well as of commanding talents, 
gave weight to his opinions, and inspired great con- 
fidence in his integrity and the soundness of his 
judgment. And his indefatigable industry and steady 
perseverance, amid opposition and reproach, afford- 
ed irrefutable evidence of the ardour of his mind, 
and the sincerity of his heart in the cause which he 
had espoused. Hence his counsel was sought on 
all important matters relating to the Church, by 
those who duly estimated the worth of his charac- 
ter, and confided in the correctness of his decisions. 
To such he was always accessible, manifesting a 



EFFECTS OF HIS LABOURS. 269 

disposition to aid them all in his power. Among 
his most intimate friends and firm supporters, we 
may include the rulers of the University of Leyden, 
the magistrates of Amsterdam, the burgomasters 
of Holland, and many ministers of the Reformed 
Church, eminent for their talents and Christian vir- 
tues ; and although they did not all embrace his pe- 
culiar doctrines, they fully believed in his sincerity, 
and the ability with which he investigated every 
subject which came under his consideration, while 
they highly disapproved of the harsh and disingen- 
uous proceedings of his enemies. 

There were, however, many ministers in the Uni- 
ted Provinces, eminent for their learning and piety, 
who heartily embraced his doctrines, and became 
his warm and able advocates. Several of these 
were raised up under his own inspection, while 
theological professor in the University of Leyden ; 
among whom was the celebrated Episcopius, who 
afterward defended the Remonstrants at the Synod 
of Dort. These ministers were settled over con- 
gregations in different parts of the country, and 
were eminently useful while they were permitted 
to pursue their calling in peace. The impression, 
therefore, which Arminius had made upon the pub- 
lic mind was of the most hallowed character, and 
its blessed results have been felt less or more to the 
present day. 

It is true that his doctrines were opposed by 
many ministers and laymen of the first standing in 
society, both while he lived and after his death, 
which led to a controversial method of preaching ; 
and this spirit of controversy descended through 
all ranks of society, attended often with much bit- 
terness of feeling, more especially by the opposers 
of Arminius, his coadjutors and followers. This 
was a source of deep regret to Arminius, which he 
often expressed with lively and pathetic feeling. 
With a view to reconcile these jarring sentiments, 
Z 2 



270 HIS ADDRESS. 

and to unite the dissentient parties, not long before 
his death he published an address to the people, in 
which he deplores the existence of these evils, and 
proposes a method to remove them. The following 
extract from this admirable address will exhibit his 
sentiments and feelings in reference to these things. 
After noticing what he considers the improper reme- 
dies which had been proposed by some, he goes on 
to say : 

" But dismissing all these violent medicines, that 
are of a bad character and import, I proceed to no- 
tice such as are holy, true, and saving ; these I dis- 
tribute into preparatives, and aphceretics, or removers, 
of this dissension. 

1. To the class of preparatives belong (1.) in the 
first place, prayers and supplications to God, that 
we may obtain a knowledge of the truth, and that 
the peace of the Church may be preserved : and 
these religious acts are to be performed, at the spe- 
cial command of the magistrates, with fasting, and 
in dust and ashes, with seriousness, in faith, and 
with assiduity. These services, when thus per- 
formed, cannot fail of being efficacious ; because 
they are done according to the ordinance of God, 
whose command it is that ' we pray for the peace 
of Jerusalem' (Psalm cxxii., 6), and according to the 
promise of Christ, who has graciously engaged that 
1 the Spirit of truth shall be given to those who ask 
him.' — (Luke, xi., 13.) 

" (2.) Let a serious amendment of life and a consci- 
entious course of conduct be added: for, without 
these, all our prayers are rendered ineffectual, be- 
cause they are displeasing to God, on the ground 
that ' he who misemploys that portion of knowledge 
which he possesses, becomes by his own act un- 
worthy of all farther communications and increase 
of knowledge.' This is in accordance with the say- 
ing of Christ: 'Unto every one that hath, shall be 
given ; and from him that hath not, even that which 



HIS ADDRESS. 271 

he hath shall be taken away from him.' — (Luke, xix., 
26.) But to all those who employ and improve the 
knowledge which is given to them, Christ promises 
the Spirit of discernment in these words : ' If any 
man will do the will of my Father, he shall know of 
the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I 
speak of myself.' — (John, vii., 17.) 

" 2. But, among the very first removals, let those 
causes be put away which, as we previously stated, 
have their origin in the affections, and which are 
not only the instigators of this dissension, but tend 
to perpetuate and keep it alive. Let humility over- 
come pride ; let a mind contented with its condition 
become the successor of avarice ; let the love of 
celestial delights expel all carnal pleasures ; let 
good- will and benevolence occupy the place of en- 
vy ; let patient forbearance subdue anger ; let so- 
briety in acquiring wisdom prescribe bounds to the 
desire of knowledge, and let studious application 
take the place of learned ignorance. Let all hatred 
and bitteness be laid aside ; and, on the contrary, 
* let us put on bowels of mercies' towards those 
who differ from us, and who appear either to wan- 
der about in the paths of error, or to scatter its nox- 
ious seeds among others. 

" These necessary concessions we shall obtain 
from our minds without much difficulty, if the fol- 
lowing four considerations become the objects of 
our sedulous attention : 

" First. How extremely difficult it is to discover the 
truth on all subjects, and to avoid error. On this topic 
St. Augustine most beautifully descants when he 
thus addresses those worst of heretics, the Mani- 
chees : ' Let those persons be enraged against you 
who are ignorant of the immense labour that is re- 
quired for the discovery of truth, and how difficult it 
is to guard against error. Let those be enraged 
against you who know not how uncommon a cir- 
cumstance and how arduous a toil it is to overcome 



272 HIS ADDRESS. 

carnal fantasies, when such a conquest is put in 
comparison with serenity of mind. Let those be 
enraged against you who are not aware of the great 
difficulty with which the eye of ' the inner man' is 
healed, so as to be able to look up to God as the sun 
of the system. Let those be enraged against you 
who are personally unconscious of the many sighs 
and groans which must be uttered before we are ca- 
pable of understanding God in the slightest degree. 
And. lastly, let those be enraged against you who 
have never been deceived by an error of such 
a description as that under which they see you la- 
bouring. But how angry soever all these persons 
may be, I cannot be in the least enraged against 
you whose weaknesses it is my duty to bear, as those 
who were near me at that period bore with mine ; 
and I ought now to treat you with as much patience 
as that which was exercised towards me when, 
frantic and blind, I went astray in the errors of your 
doctrine.' 

" Secondly. That those who hold erroneous opin- 
ions have been induced through ignorance to adopt 
them, is far more probable than that malice has in- 
fluenced them to contrive a method of consigning 
themselves and other people to eternal destruction. 

" Thirdly. It is possible that they who entertain 
these mistaken sentiments are of the number of 
the elect, whom God, it is true, may have permitted 
to fall, but only with this design— that he may raise 
them up with the greater glory.* How, then, can 
we indulge ourselves in any harsh or unmerciful 
resolutions against these persons, who have been 
destined to possess the heavenly inheritance, who 
are our brethren, the members of Christ, and not only 
the servants, but the sons of the Lord Most High. 

* This declaration of Arminius doubtless originated from the hesitancy 
which he felt on the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints, and 
also with a view to concede all he conscientiously could to the Calvin- 
isis, for the purpose of effecting a union. We by no means accord to 
this sentiment, because we think it unscriptural and dangerous. 



HIS ADDRESS. 273 

" Lastly. Let us place ourselves in the circum- 
stances of an adversary, and let him in return as- 
sume the character which we sustain ; since it is 
as possible for us, as it is for him, to hold wrong 
principles. When we have made this experiment, 
we may be brought to think, that the very person 
whom we had previously thought to be in error, and 
whose mistakes in our eyes had a destructive ten- 
dency, may perhaps have been given to us by God, 
that out of his mouth we may learn the truth which 
has hitherto been unknown to us. 

" To these four reflections, let there be added a 
consideration of all those articles of religion respecting 
which there exists on both sides a perfect agreement. 
These will perhaps be found to be so numerous and 
of such great importance, that when a comparison 
is instituted between them, and the others which 
may properly be made subjects of controversy, the 
latter will be found to be few in number and of small 
consequence. This is the very method which a 
certain famous prince in France, the King of Na- 
varre, is reported to have adopted when Cardinal 
Lorraine attempted to embroil the Lutherans, or 
those who adhered to the Augustan Confession, 
with the French Protestants, that he might inter- 
rupt and neutralize the salutary provisions of the 
Conference at Poissy, which had been instituted be- 
tween the Protestants and the papists. 

" But since it is customary, after long and griev- 
ous wars, to enter into a truce, or a cessation from 
hostilities, prior to the conclusion of a treaty of 
peace and its final ratification ; and since, during 
the continuance of a truce, while every hostile at- 
tempt is laid aside, peaceful thoughts are naturally 
suggested, till at length a general solicitude is ex- 
pressed with regard to the method in which a firm 
peace and lasting reconciliation may best be effect- 
ed, it is my special wish that there may now be 
among us a similar cessation from the asperities of 



274 HIS ADDRESS. 

religious warfare, and that both parties would ab- 
stain from writings full of bitterness, from sermons 
remarkable only for the invectives which they con- 
tain, and from the unchristian practice of mutual 
nnathematizing and execration. Instead of the.se, let 
the controversialists substitute writings full of mod- 
eration, in which the matters of controversy may, 
without respect of persons, be clearly explained and 
proved by cogent arguments : let such sermons be 
preached as are calculated to excite the minds of 
the people to the love and study of truth, charity, 
mercy, long-suffering, and concord ; which may in- 
flame the minds both of governors and people with 
a desire of concluding a pacification, and may make 
them willing to carry into effect such a remedy as 
is, of all others, the best accommodated to remove 
dissensions. 

" That remedy is an orderly and free convention of 
the parties that differ from each other: in such an as- 
sembly (called by the Greeks a Synod, and by the 
Latins a Council), after the different sentiments 
have been compared together, and the various rea- 
sons of each have been weighed, in the fear of the 
Lord, and with calmness and accuracy, let the mem- 
bers deliberate, consult, and determine what the 
Word of God declares concerning the matters in 
controversy, and afterward let them, by common 
consent, promulge and declare the result to the 
churches. 

" The chief magistrates, who profess the Chris- 
tian religion, will summon and convene this synod, 
in virtue of the supreme official authority with which 
they are divinely invested, and according to the 
practice that formerly prevailed in the Jewish 
Church, and that was afterward adopted by the 
Christian Church, and continued nearly to the nine 
hundredth year after the birth of Christ, until the 
Roman pontiff began through tyranny to arrogate 
this authority to himself. Such an arrangement is 






HIS ADDRESS. 275 

required by the public weal, which is never commit- 
ted with greater safety to the custody of any one 
than to his whose private advantage is entirely un- 
connected with the issue. 

" But men endued with wisdom will be summoned 
to this synod, and will be admitted into it — men who 
are well qualified for a seat in it by the sanctity of 
their lives, and their general experience — men burn- 
ing with zeal for God, and for the salvation of their 
human brethren, and inflamed with the love of truth 
and peace. Into such a choice assembly all those 
persons will be admitted who are acknowledged for 
any probable reason to possess the spirit of Christ, 
the spirit of discernment between truth and false- 
hood — between good and evil — and those who prom- 
ise to abide by the Scriptures, that have been in- 
spired by the same Holy Spirit. Not only will 
ecclesiastics be admitted, but also laymen — whether 
they be entitled to any superiority on account of 
the dignity of the office which they sustain, or 
whether they be persons in private stations. Not 
only will the representatives of one party, or of 
some parties, be admitted, but deputies from all the 
parties that disagree — whether they have been de- 
fenders of the conflicting opinions that are at issue, 
or whether they have never publicly explained their 
own sentiments, either in discourse or by writing. 
But it is of the utmost consequence that this sen- 
tence should, after the manner of Plato, be inscribed 
in letters of gold on the porch of the building in 
which this sacred meeting holds its sittings : ' Let 

NO ONE THAT IS NOT DESIROUS OF PROMOTING THE IN- 
TERESTS OF TRUTH AND PEACE, ENTER THIS HALLOWED 

dome !' It is my sincere and earnest wish that God 
would - place his angel with a flaming two-edged 
sword at the entrance of this paradise,' in which 
divine truth and the lovely concord of the Church 
will be the subjects of discussion ; and that he 
would by his angel drive away all those who might 



276 HIS ADDRESS. 

be animated with a spirit averse to truth and con- 
cord, while the sacred guardian repeats, in tones 
terrific and a voice of thunder, the warning words 
used by the followers of Pythagoras and Orpheus 
preparatory to the commencement of their sacred 
rites : 

' Far, far from hence, ye multitude profane !' 

" The situation and other circumstances of the 
town or city appointed for holding such a council 
must not be neglected. It should be so accommo- 
dated to the convenience of those who have to as- 
semble in it, that neither the difficulty of approach- 
ing it, nor the length of the journey to it, should 
operate as a hinderance on any of the members 
deputed. It should be a place free from danger and 
violence, and secured against all surprise and am- 
buscades, in order that those who are summoned 
may come to it, remain in it, and return to their 
homes in perfect safety. To secure these benefits, 
it will be necessary for a public pledge to be given 
to all the members, and solemnly observed. 

"In this council the subjects of discussion will 
not be the jurisdictions, honours, and rights of pre- 
cedence on the part of princes — the wealth, power, 
and privileges of bishops — the commencement of 
war against the Turks, or any other political mat- 
ters. But its discussions will relate solely to those 
things which pertain to religion : of this description 
are the doctrines which concern faith and manners, 
and ecclesiastical order. (1.) In these doctrines there 
are two objects worthy of consideration, which are 
indeed of the greatest consequence : (i.) Their truth, 
and (ii.) The degree of necessity which exists for know- 
ing, believing, and practising them. (2.) As to Eccle- 
siastical order — because a good part of it is positive, 
and only requires to be accommodated to persons, 
places, and seasons — it will be easily despatched. 

" The end of such a holy convention will be the 
illustration, preservation, and propagation of the 



HIS ADDRESS. 277 

truth; the extirpation of existing errors, and the 
concord of the Church. The consequence of all 
which will be the glory of God and the eternal sal- 
vation of men. 

" The presidency of that assembly belongs to Him 
alone who is the Head and the Husband of the 
Church — to Christ by his Holy Spirit ; for He has 
promised to be present in a company that may con- 
sist only of two or three individuals gathered to- 
gether in his name : His assistance, therefore, will 
be earnestly implored at the beginning and end of 
each of their sessions. But, for the sake of order, 
moderation, and good government, and to avoid con- 
fusion, it will be necessary to have presidents sub- 
ordinate to Christ Jesus. It is my sincere wish 
that the magistrates would themselves undertake 
that office in the council ; and this might be obtained 
from them as a favour. But in case of their reluc- 
tance, either some members deputed from their 
body, or some persons chosen by the whole synod, 
ought to act in that capacity. The duties of these 
presidents will consist in convening the assembly, 
proposing the subjects of deliberation, putting ques- 
tions to the vote, collecting the suffrages of each 
member by means of accredited secretaries, and in 
directing the whole of the proceedings. The course 
of action to be adopted in the synod itself is this : 
(1.) A regular and accurate debate on the matters in 
controversy ; (2.) Mature consultation concerning 
them ; and (3.) Complete liberty for every one to 
declare his opinion. The rule to be observed in all 
these transactions is the Word of God, recorded in 
the books of the Old and New Testaments. The 
power and influence which the most ancient coun- 
cils ascribed to this sacred rule were pointed out 
by the significant action of placing a copy of the 
Gospels in the first and most honourable seat in the 
assembly. On this point the parties between whom 
the difference subsists should be mutually agreed. 
A A 



278 HIS ADDRESS. 

(1.) The debates will not be conducted according to 
the rules of rhetoric, but according to dialectics : 
but a logical and concise mode of reasoning will be 
employed; and all precipitancy of speech and ex- 
tempore effusions will be avoided. To each of the 
parties such an equal space of time will be allowed 
as may appear necessary for due meditation ; and, 
to avoid many inconveniences and absurdities, every 
speech intended for delivery will be comprised in 
writing, and will be recited from the manuscript. 
No one shall be permitted to interrupt or to close 
a disputation, unless, in the opinion of the whole 
assembly, it appear that sufficient reasons have 
been advanced to satisfy the subject under discus- 
sion. (2.) When a disputation is finished, a grave 
and mature deliberation will be instituted, both con- 
cerning the controversies themselves and the argu- 
ments employed by both sides : that the limits of 
the matter under dispute being laid down with great 
strictness, and the amplitude of debate being con- 
tracted into a very narrow compass, the question on 
which the assembly has to decide and pronounce 
may be perceived as at one glance with complete 
distinctness. (3.) To these will succeed, in the 
proper course, a free declaration of opinion — a right, 
the benefit of which will belong equally to all that 
are convened of each party, without excluding from 
it any of those who, though not invited, may have 
voluntarily come to the town or city in which the 
synod is convened, and who may have been admit- 
ted into it by the consent of the members. 

" And since nothing to the present period has 
proved to be a greater hinderance to the investiga- 
tion of truth, or to the conclusion of an agreement, 
than this circumstance, that those who have been 
convened were so restricted and confined to received 
opinions as to bring from home with them the decla- 
ration which they were to make on every subject 
in the synod ; it is therefore necessary that all the 



HIS ADDRESS. 279 

members assembled should, prior to the commence- 
ment of any proceedings, take a solemn oath not to 
indulge in prevarication or calumny. By this oath 
they ought to promise that everything shall be trans- 
acted in the fear of the Lord, and according to a 
good conscience ; the latter of which consists in 
not asserting that which they consider to be false — 
in not concealing that which they think to be the 
truth (how much soever such truth may be opposed 
to them and their party) — and in not pressing upon 
others for absolute certainties those points which 
seem, even to themselves, to be doubtful. By this 
oath they should also promise that everything shall 
be conducted according to the rule of the Word of 
God, without favour or affection, and without any 
partiality or respect of persons ; that the whole of 
their attention in that assembly shall be solely di- 
rected to promote an inquiry after truth, and to 
consolidate Christian concord ; and that they will 
acquiesce in the sentence of the synod on all those 
things of which they shall be convinced by the 
Word of God. On which account let them be ab- 
solved from all other oaths, either immediately or 
indirectly contrary to this, by which they have been 
bound either to churches and their confessions, or 
to schools and their masters, or even to princes 
themselves, with an exception in favour of the right 
and jurisdiction which the latter have over their 
subjects. Constituted after this manner, such a 
synod will truly be a free assembly, most suitable 
and appropriate for the investigation of truth and 
the establishment of concord. This is an opinion 
which is countenanced by St. Augustine, who, ex- 
postulating with the Manichees, in continuation of 
the passage which we have just quoted, proceeds 
thus : ' But that you may become milder, and may 
be the more easily pacified, O Manicheans, and that 
you may no longer place yourselves in opposition 
to me with a mind full of hostility, which is most 



280 HIS ADDRESS. 

pernicious to yourselves, it is my duty to request 
of you (whoever he may be that shall judge between 
us) that all arrogance be laid aside by both parties ; 
and that none of us say that he has discovered the 
truth : but rather let us seek it as though it were 
unknown to each of us ; for thus it will be pos- 
sible for each of us to be engaged in a diligent and 
amicable search for it, if we have not by a prema- 
ture and rash presumption believed that it is an ob- 
ject which we had previously discovered, and with 
which we are well acquainted.' 

" From a synod thus constructed and managed, 
those who rely on the promise of God may expect 
most abundant profit and the greatest advantages ; 
for, though Christ be provoked to anger by our 
manifold trespasses and offences, yet the thought 
must not once be indulged, that his Church will be 
neglected by him ; or, when his faithful servants 
and teachable disciples are, with simplicity of heart, 
engaged in a search after truth and peace, and are 
devoutly imploring the grace of his Holy Spirit, 
that He will on any account suffer them to fall into 
such errors as are opposed to truths accounted fun- 
damental, and to persevere in them when their ten- 
dency is thus injurious. From the decisions of a 
synod that is influenced by such expectations, una- 
nimity and agreement will be obtained on all the 
doctrines, or at least on the principal part of them, 
and especially on those which are supported by 
clear testimonies from the Scriptures. 

" But if it should happen that a mutual consent 
and agreement cannot be obtained on some articles, 
then it appears to me one of these two courses 
must be pursued : First. It must become a matter 
of deep consideration whether a fraternal concord 
in Christ cannot exist between the two parties, and 
whether one cannot acknowledge the other for par- 
takers of the same faith, and fellow-heirs of the 
same salvation — although they may both hold dif- 



HIS ADDRESS. 281 

ferent sentiments concerning the nature of faith 
and the manner of salvation. If either party refuse 
to extend to the other the right-hand of fellowship, 
the party so offending shall, by the unanimous decla- 
ration of all the members, be commanded to prove, 
from plain and obvious passages of Scripture, that 
the importance attached to the controverted articles 
is so great as not to permit those who dissent from 
them to be one in Christ Jesus. Secondly. After 
having made every effort towards producing a 
Christian and fraternal union, if they find that this 
cannot be effected in such a state of affairs, the 
second plan must be adopted, which, indeed, the 
conscience of no man can under any pretext refuse : 
the right hand of friendship should be extended by 
both parties, and all of them should enter into a 
solemn engagement, by which they should bind 
themselves, as by oaths, and under the most sacred 
obligations, to abstain in future from all bitterness, 
evil-speaking, and railing ; to preach with gentle- 
ness and moderation to the people intrusted to their 
care, that truth which they deem necessary ; and to 
confute those falsities which they consider to be 
inimical to salvation, and injurious to the glory of 
God ; and, while engaged in such a confutation of 
error (however great their earnestness may be), to 
let their zeal be under the direction of knowledge, 
and attempered with kindness. On him who shall 
resolve to adopt a course of conduct different to 
this, let the imprecations of an incensed God and 
his Christ be invoked, and let the magistrates not 
only threaten him with deserved punishment, but 
let it be actually inflicted. 

" But the synod will not assume to itself the au- 
thority of obtruding upon others, by force, those 
resolutions which may have been passed by unani- 
mous consent. For this reflection should always 
suggest itself : k Though this synod appears to have 
done all things conscientiously, it is possible that, 
A a2 



282 HIS ADDRESS. 

after all, it has committed an error in judgment.' 
Such a diffidence and moderation of mind will pos- 
sess greater power, and will have more influence 
than any immoderate or excessive rigour can have 
on the consciences, both of the contumacious dissi- 
dents and of the whole body of the faithful ; be- 
cause, according to Lactantius, ' To recommend faith 
to others, we must make it the subject of persuasion, 
and not of compulsion.' Tertullian also says, ' No- 
thing is less a religious business than to employ co- 
ercion about religion.' For these disturbers will 
either then (1.) desist from creating farther trouble 
in the Church by the frequent, unseasonable, and 
outrageous inculcation of their opinions, which, with 
all their powers of persuasion, they were not able 
to prevail with such a numerous assembly of im- 
partial and moderate men to adopt. Or (2.) being 
exposed to the just indignation of all these individu- 
als, they will scarcely find a person willing to lend 
an ear to teachers of such a refractory and obsti- 
nate disposition. If this should not prove to be 
the result, then it must be concluded that there are 
no remedies calculated to remove all evils ; but 
those must be employed which have in them the 
least peril. The mild and affectionate expostulation 
of Christ our Saviour must also live in our recollec- 
tions : He addressed his disciples, and said, ' Will 
ye also go away V — (John, vi., 67.) We must use 
the same interrogation, and must rest at that point, 
and cease from all ulterior measures. 

" My very famous, most polite, and courteous 
hearers, these are the remarks which have been im- 
pressed on my mind, and which I have accounted it 
my duty at this time to declare concerning the rec- 
onciliation of religious differences. The short 
time usually allotted to the delivery of an address 
on this occasion, and the defects of my own genius, 
have prevented me from treating this subject accord- 
ing to its dignity and amplitude. 



HIS ADDRESS. 283 

" May the God of truth and peace inspire the 
hearts of the magistrates, the people, and the min- 
isters of religion, with an ardent desire for truth 
and peace ! May He exhibit before their eyes, in 
all its naked deformity, the execrable and polluting 
nature of dissension concerning religion ! and may 
He affect their hearts with a serious sense of those 
evils which flow so copiously from it! that they 
may unite all their prayers, counsels, endeavours, 
and desires, and may direct them to one point — the 
removal of the causes of such a great evil, the 
adoption of a mild and sanatory process, and the 
application of gentle remedies for healing this dis- 
sension — which are the only description of medi- 
cines of which the very weak and sickly condition 
of the body of the Church, and the nature of the 
malady, will admit. ' The God of peace,' who dig- 
nifies ' the peace-makers' alone with the ample title 
of 'children' (Matt., v., 9), has called us to the 
practice of peace. Christ, ' the prince of peace,' 
who, by his precious blood, procured peace for us, 
has bequeathed and recommended it to us with a 
fraternal affection. — (John, xiv., 27.) It has also 
been sealed to us by the Holy Spirit, who is the 
bond of peace, and who has united all of us in one 
body by the closest ties of the new covenant. — 
(Ephes., iv., 3.) 

" Let us be ashamed of contaminating such a 
splendid title as this by our petty contentions ; let 
it rather be to us an object of pursuit, since God has 
called us to such a course. Let us not suffer that 
which has been purchased at such a great price, to 
be consumed and wasted away in the midst of our 
disputes and dissensions ; but let us embrace it, be- 
cause our Lord Christ has given it the sanction of 
his recommendation. Let us not permit a covenant 
of such great sanctity to be made void by our fac- 
tious divisions ; but, since it is sealed to us by the 
Holy Spirit, let us attend to all its requisitions and 



2S4 HIS ADDRESS. 

preserve the terms inviolate. Fabius, the Roman 
ambassador, told the Carthaginians ' that he carried 
to them in his bosom both war and peace, that they 
might choose either of them that was the object of 
their preference.' Depending not on my own 
strength, but on the goodness of God, the promises 
of Christ, and on the gentle attestations of the Holy 
Spirit, I venture to imitate his expressions (full of 
confidence although they be), and to say, ' Only let 
us choose peace, and God will perfect it for us.' 
Then will the happy period arrive when, with glad- 
ness, we shall hear the voices of brethren mutually 
exhorting each other, and saying, ' Let us go into 
the house of the Lord,' that he may explain to us 
his will ; that ' our feet may joyfully stand within 
the gates of Jerusalem ;' that, in an ecstasy of de- 
light, we may contemplate the Church of Christ, ' as 
a city that is compact together, whither the tribes 
go u the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony 
of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord ;' 
that with thanksgiving we may admire ' the thrones 
of judgment which are set there, the thrones of the 
house of David' — the thrones of men of veracity, of 
princes, who, in imitation of David's example, are 
peace-makers, and of magistrates who conform 
themselves to the similitude of the man after God's 
own heart. Thus shall we enjoy the felicity to ac- 
cost each other in cheerful converse, and, by way of 
encouragement, sweetly to whisper in the ears of 
each other, ' Pray for the peace of the Church Uni- 
versal,' and in our mutual prayers let us invoke 
1 prosperity on them that love her ;' that with unan- 
imous voice, from the inmost recesses of our hearts, 
we may consecrate to her these votive interces- 
sions and promises : ' Peace be within thy walls, 
and prosperity within thy palaces : for our brethren 
and companions' sakes, we will now say, Peace be 
within thee ! Because of the house of the Lord our 
God we will seek thy good.' — (Psalm exxii.) Thus 



SYNOD OF DORT. 285 

at length shall it come to pass, that, being anointed 
with spiritual delights, we shall sing together in ju- 
bilant strains that most pleasant Song of Degrees, 
4 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for breth- 
ren to dwell together in unity,' &c. And, from a 
sight of the orderly walk and peaceable conduct of 
the faithful in the house of God, and filled with the 
hopes of consummating these acts of pacification in 
heaven, we may conclude in these words of the apos- 
tle, ' And as many as walk according to this rule, 
peace be on them, and mercy upon the Israel of 
God !' — (Gal., vi., lfi.) Mercy, therefore, and peace be 
upon the Israel of God ! — I have concluded." 

Such an address is worthy of the mind and heart 
of him who delivered it. But, alas ! how differ- 
ent was the famous Synod of Dort, which grew 
out of this address, from the one here described by 
Arminius. Instead of being composed of men en- 
dued with the spirit of Jesus Christ, and a uated 
by a love to God and man, the majority 01 them 
appeared to be under the influence of strong prej- 
udice against the followers of Arminius, and fully 
resolved to condemn them, at whatever hazard. 

That we may be convinced of this, let us just 
glance at the composition of this synod, at its acts, 
and the results of its proceedings. This synod was 
convened in 1618 and 1619, under the auspices of 
the States of Holland, or, rather, of Prince Maurice, 
who had imbibed a violent hatred against the Armin- 
ians, because he supposed that they had conspired 
against his ambitious designs of becoming Duke of 
Holland, and thus to deprive the states of their lib- 
erties. The synod was composed of delegates from 
the United Provinces, and from Hesse, England, 
the Palatinate, Bremen, and Switzerland; but not 
one of the Arminian ministers was allowed a seat 
in the council. They no sooner assembled than 
they proceeded to elect John Bogermann, a bigoted 
Calvinist, and an inveterate hater of the Arminians, 



286 ITS TYRANNY. 

for their president ; and who betrayed throughout 
the proceedings a violence of temper incompatible 
with the spirit of a Christian minister, more espe- 
cially when the cause of the Arminians was under 
consideration. Before this assembly, on a citation, 
the leaders of these men appeared with Episcopius, 
now a professor of theology at the University of 
Leyden, at their head — a man thoroughly imbued 
with the spirit and doctrine of Arminius, and fully 
able to vindicate the cause he had espoused. He 
had scarcely saluted those judges in a grave and 
eloquent manner, when he was interrupted by the 
president, and was given to understand that, instead 
of attacking the vulnerable parts of Calvinism, as 
it was evident from his introductory remarks he 
was about to do, he must first explain and prove his 
own doctrine, and submit the decision to the synod. 
As the Arminians would not be persuaded to com- 
ply with this requisition, they were dismissed from 
the assembly, of which they justly complained as 
an act of tyrannical oppression. After various de- 
lays and discussions, with which many of the more 
moderate party, and particularly the foreign divines, 
were much dissatisfied, the Arminians were con- 
demned as corruptors of theological truth — as teach- 
ers of dangerous errors — by which sentence they 
were excluded from the communion of the Church, 
and forbidden to exercise the functions of the Chris- 
tian ministry. 

Against this severe sentence the Arminians com- 
plained very justly. Their complaints, however, 
were not heeded, but they were everywhere pro- 
scribed as enemies to the state, as the promulgators 
of heretical doctrine ; and those who refused to sub- 
mit to this tyrannical decree were banished from 
the country ; and thus the States of Holland, which 
professed to allow perfect civil and religious free- 
dom, became disgraced by cruel acts of proscription 
towards those who contended for their rights. 



ITS EFFECTS. 287 

Those, however, who went into exile were not idle. 
They continued to propagate their sentiments, which 
were favourably received by many both in Holland 
and Switzerland, but more particularly in England 
and Germany, among the Lutherans and members 
of the English hierarchy. 

Before these events occurred, however, Arminius 
had gone to his reward. He had finished his work, 
had kept the faith, and no doubt had received the 
crown of glory which had been laid up for him. 
Though he suffered much persecution himself on 
occount of the fearless and independent manner in 
which he asserted his own convictions of truth and 
duty, yet it was reserved for his followers to feel 
the full weight of that ecclesiastical wrath which 
fell upon their devoted heads at the far-famed Synod 
of Dort, and finally banished them from their kindred 
and country. But how vain are the efforts of man 
against the truth of God ! They could not, by all 
their acts of oppression, silence the voice of con- 
science or extinguish that light which James Ar- 
minius had lit up in the Church of God. And while 
the cruel acts of his persecutors, though long men- 
tioned with approbation by their friends, shall go 
down to posterity branded with infamy, his name 
shall be held in veneration by all the lovers of truth 
and peace, and the admirers of sound learning and 
solid piety. His doctrines were, it is true, suppress- 
ed for a season in Holland, and much pains have 
been taken to render them odious among Christians 
by caricature and misrepresentation ; yet they 
spread rapidly and widely even among the Reform- 
ed Church of Holland, among the followers of 
Zuingle in Switzerland, and took deep root in the 
Established Church of England. They were revi- 
sed and purified from whatever dross of error might 
have cleaved to them by Wesley, were defended by 
Fletcher, and form the distinguishing features of 
the doctrine of the Methodist Episcopal, the Lu- 



288 FINAL RESULT. 

theran, and the Protestant Episcopal Churches, as 
well as of various other minor sects. Nor are there 
wanting those among the professed Calvinists who 
are disposed, at length, to do justice to this eminent 
man, by allowing that, though he differed from Cal- 
vin, he was nevertheless orthodox in all the essen- 
tial points of Christian theology. These are among 
the happy results of the labours and sufferings of Ar- 
minius. And if this volume shall tend in any meas- 
ure to make him more extensively known as a dis- 
tinguished man of God, to whom the world is so 
much indebted for the benefits of those luminous 
truths which he taught, the compiler will not have 
laboured in vain nor spent his strength for naught. 



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